


Falling For a Deal

by Andra Nycly (QuitePossiblyInsane), BunnyKing, MeekoMyachi



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Audio version now available!, Comic Sans and Sans Serif, Contract, Don't Judge, F/F, F/M, Identity Issues, Integrity/Perseverance mage, Kindness soul - Freeform, Magic absorbtion, No Frisk here, Papyrus Knows More Than He Lets On, Plot with a large and healthy dose of smut, Sharing a Body, Some hurt/comfort, Some social anxiety, Sort of a weird noncon thing with Gaster, You know you like it, all the headcanons, and awkwardness, ask the characters stuff too, bad physics, but we hope you like it, one is a slow burn, still working on tags, the other is reeeaaallly not, there are dream sequences here and there too, there are other oddities in this timeline, there are two Sanses, there will be mystery!, there will be romance!, this one might be confusing, void magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-08-15 21:14:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 86,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8072932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuitePossiblyInsane/pseuds/Andra%20Nycly, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyKing/pseuds/BunnyKing, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeekoMyachi/pseuds/MeekoMyachi
Summary: Andra and Kathy were comfortable living on the outskirts of Ebott City. They lived in a nice apartment, had their share of acquaintances, and they were content.But the call of the mountain was impossible to ignore.With two women falling into the Underground...what other differences could there be in this timeline?





	1. A Dream and an Impulse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Audio version now in production! It's just me doing the recording, so bear with me if updates to the audio are slow!
> 
> https://www.mediafire.com/?rfcly75u04r5610  
> ^^^^ Download the file here^^^^  
> Or check it out on our tumblr, fallingforadeal.tumblr.com

_It was just a signature. It couldn't mean that much, could it?_

  
_The figure took the paper...almost...gleefully? Andra couldn't tell. It disappeared in their grasp. Their words were briefly unintelligible, before she slowly began to understand._

**_"Why don't we get started right away?"_ **

* * *

****

Andra woke, her head pounding as she scrounged for her glasses on the bedside table. She tried to remember what she'd been dreaming of, but...it was all just a blur. Some sort of...deal?

A sharp pain shot through her head, and she banished the thought. Nevermind. It was just a stupid dream, right? No need to overthink it.

She shoved her glasses on, reaching for the small pharmacy on her bedside table. A blue pill for the shadows, a pink pill for the stress, a white pill for the pink pill, and a teal pill to calm the nerves. She paused a moment. She wouldn't be back for awhile. She wasn't sure why. But she somehow knew. She shoved the pills into a bag, swallowing the four she had taken out dry, and cringing mildly.

Coffee first. Then she could go...there. She knew where she needed to go.

She pulled on a pair of comfortable, black jeans and a tank-top, shoving her velvet-lined, blue, black and gold jacket into her backpack, along with a couple of other supplies she might need. A first-aid kit, knitting needles and yarn, her lucky pen, a couple of changes of practical clothes, and some chocolate that she kept under her bed for emergencies.

She hauled the backpack onto her shoulder, running her fingers through multi-coloured hair to shove it roughly out of her eyes as she made a beeline for the coffee maker, not bothering to close the bedroom door.

Kathy groaned when she heard the shifting and shuffling of her roommate, struggling to open her eyes. What was the other woman doing up at this hour? And being so unusually noisy? She opened an eye, watching Andra zip her bag shut, "Where're you going?" She mumbled through a yawn, rolling onto her back to get a better view of her friend as she paused in the doorway.

"Hnh?" Andra half turned, leaning on the frame of the doorway, "To get some coffee," she answered quickly, "Why? What's up? Did I wake you?"

Kathy sat up, sitting cross-legged in the bed for a moment as she adjusted to the upright position, stretching lightly, "No, no. Not at all! I was getting up anyway," she gave a look, "But I mean, where are you going, after coffee?" She eyed the backpack pointedly.

She froze, looking at the bag hanging from her shoulder, "Hm? I thought I'd go hiking up on Mt. Ebott. We've been living here for months, and haven't had a chance to check it out yet." She shrugged.

"Is that really a good idea?" She asked quickly, "Since when are you a morning person, anyway?"

Andra frowned, "Maybe it's those new pills I started," she replied, looking away.

Kathy shook her head, "And you were planning on going to the mountain alone?"

"I...uh...didn't want to wake you," she said a little awkwardly, "Look, I need coffee. Can we talk about this after I've had my caffeine?"

"Only if you promise to tell me what's wrong with you."

"Nothing is wrong with me," she said, unusually annoyed. It wasn't something she felt...ever. She tampered down the reaction, knowing it was unreasonable. It didn't feel like it was coming from her, anyway. Maybe...ugh, her head hurt again. Probably just a side-effect.

She sighed, "Okay," she got out of bed in a sudden burst of energy, grabbing her own bag and beginning to organise her belongings,

Andra looked up, "What're you doing?"

She didn't look over at the other woman, "Getting ready to go," she replied simply.

The hair-dye addict frowned, "You don't have to," she said quickly, not sure why she was trying to convince her friend not to go.

"I know," she replied with a kind smile, "But I'm not letting you go alone. It's dangerous up there. Now go enjoy your coffee."

Andra covered her face with one hand for a moment, rubbing her eyes under her glasses, "Fine. Whatever. I don't have time to argue." She turned to leave the room again, making a large cup worth and killing it with cream, filling her  _espresso yourself_ coffee mug to the brim and stirring it a little messily, the only indication she hadn't magically transformed into a morning person overnight.

She sat down at the small kitchen table with her coffee, making a mental note to wipe up the coffee spill before she left, and to grab a few bottles of water. She still had a little space in her bag, anyway.

The rich liquid was gone far too quickly. She took her cup to the sink, washing, drying, and putting it away. She wasn't sure why she was bothering with such...routine, when she knew she wouldn't be back for awhile. And she doubted Kathy would want to hang around an overgrown old mountain for a few days, looking for...what, exactly? What was she even looking for? How was she supposed to explain that if her friend pried? She couldn't keep dodging the question. What would she say?

_Oh, I'm looking for something. Hm? What am I looking for? Hahaha! That's not important! Wait there a moment, while I throw myself off this cliff in embarrassment._

Wait. Nuh-uh. Nope. She wasn't going down that road. Where had the thought of jumping off of a cliff even come from? She hadn't had a thought like that in years, and then there hadn't been any cliffs available.

Kathy came out of the room with her own bag, just as Andra was grabbing the last of her things and re-closing her bag. She had changed into a practical pair of jeans, and comfortable t-shirt.

She hesitated, "I uh...see you're ready to go," she said slowly, "You  _really_ don't have to. I'm just going to poke around a bit. It'll be boring."

"You're going, so I am too," she shrugged, "Anyway, I know you hate being alone. And you know what they say about that mountain."

Damn her being so nice. Ah well, if she couldn't talk her out of going...it would be nice to have the company. She gave a defeated sigh, offering a small smile, "Yeah, I know. People in this town are so paranoid, huh?"

The slightly more normal demeanor of her friend calmed her a little, and she returned the smile with an easy one of her own, "You're one to talk," she teased gently, "You don't think I heard you shove the first-aid kit into your bag?"

She stuck her tongue out, relaxing a little more as she pulled the backpack on, "If I hadn't grabbed it, you would've," Andra replied, "Come on. I'll buy you a tea and some breakfast before we hit the mountain. If you insist on coming with me, I might as well feed you. It's gonna be boring as hell."

"Nah. You always find a way to make it fun."

 She laughed, "Only when I have a spaz like you around."

Kathy grinned, "Now. You mentioned food?"

Andra brushed her hair back in a familiar, slightly nervous gesture, the only thing that gave away the fact that she wasn't entirely easy with her own plan, "Yeah, of course," she replied with a smile, grabbing her kilt bag from the hook by the door and fastening it to her belt.

They ate breakfast together at a local diner, exchanging banter and small talk, both avoiding talking about their destination, despite Kathy's concern. They knew that the locals wouldn't react well, and there was no point in getting them riled up.

The ginger-and-rainbow haired woman was a little shier in public, and it was a perfect excuse not to explain her plan. Which was good, because she wasn't sure of it herself. She just knew that she  _had_  to go to Mt. Ebott, and she would just...follow her intuition. Worst came to worst, if Kathy called her out on not having a plan, she'd have to admit it....

Once they had finished their food, Andra led the way toward the mountain. They weren't far from it. While the locals were loathe to climb it, the soil around it was rich, and the town had slowly crept closer to it. The diner was less than a mile from the overgrown trail to the top.

When they had left the more populated area, climbing the trail, and weaving through a few trees here and there, Kathy grabbed her hand, "Hey. Are you gonna tell me why we're really here, Andra?" She asked, her voice heavily laced with concern. She was a little out of breath trying to keep up with the taller woman.

She paused a moment, an abnormally calm look on her face, her eyes seeming to flicker a moment as her pupils briefly dilated, before shrinking back down, "I...I'm just...looking for something."

Kathy tilted her head slightly, "Well...what are we looking for? If I knew what to keep an eye out for, we'd find it quicker."

She shook her head, "I...really don't know. It's hard to explain."

The darker-haired woman frowned, "You're kind of worrying me, hon..."

She pushed her glasses up roughly, shifting the motion into brushing her hair back, "Don't worry about it, okay? We're almost there. I can feel it." She'd always had strong intuition, and weird senses of deja vu, but it had never been as strong as this...pull, "There's something...important here. I can feel it in my  _soul_ , and us gingers don't invoke that shit lightly." She attempted the bad joke, but didn't really feel it.

In spite of the lack of sincerity in the joke, she earned a laugh from her friend, "Alright. Fine. Lead the way. I'll follow and help best I can." She smiled encouragingly.

Andra gave a soft, half-laugh, "You are way too nice to me," she replied quietly, moving on ahead. The path leveled a little more as they walked, and soon her pace picked up again, a single-minded focus seeming to take her. She moved ahead of Kathy, falling completely silent as she rounded a particularly overgrown patch of trees, thick vines and roots crawling over the path, making the footing treacherous. It would be easy to twist an ankle, or trip, but her pace was steady, and her steps sure.

"Andra!" Kathy called breathlessly behind her, taking slow, careful steps in order to stay upright. She was clumsy on a good day, and even after free food and good tea, this wasn't the best start to a day, "Slow down!" When she finally came around the small grove, climbing over a few roots, and fallen boulders, she froze a moment, "What are you doing?! Be careful!"

The younger woman was standing at the edge of a large chasm, holding onto the straps of her backpack and leaning over slightly, looking down into the darkness below. It was odd. The sunlight seemed to simply...stop, after a certain point. She couldn't see the bottom, and she had to wonder how deep it was. Hm. Either way...that was where the feeling was resonating from. That was a...problem. She took a step closer to the edge without realising it.

"Hey! Get away from the edge!"

_What would happen if I jumped?_

"Andra!"

The next few seconds were a confused jumble of events. A hand gripped an arm, a foot caught on a root. One of them went tumbling, pulling the other behind them on accident. Someone shouted. 

 _The darkness swallowed them...enveloped them..._ _then..._ it lifted. Their fall seemed to slow, cushioned by an unknown force, before they landed in a bed of flowers.


	2. Flowers and Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Audio for chapter 2 is now available! 
> 
> http://www.mediafire.com/file/g8kd5afd6632ad2/Falling_for_a_Deal_chapter_2.mp3

Kathy tried to catch her breath, the last few seconds replaying over and over in her mind's eye, as her head spun. The impact with the ground, though slowed, had knocked the wind out of her. After what felt like an hour, she finally managed to roll onto her side, leaning on her elbow and panting slightly. While the bottom of the cavern had seemed dark from above, the sunlight filtered pleasantly onto the large, healthy golden flowers that had broken their fall. The light dappled lightly over ornate columns, the vines from above continuing to wind down into the cavern.

The gorgeous scenery was soured more than a little by the fact that her friend was passed out a few feet away. Panic shot a rush of energy through her, and she scrambled toward the other woman, looking her over, and ignoring her own aches, "Andra?! Are you okay?" She snapped her fingers near her face, trying to wake her without jostling any injuries she may have sustained.

Her glasses had fallen a ways away, and the loosely worn backpack was beside her. A small trickle of blood dripped from just above her hairline, but it didn't look serious...then again...she was unconscious, so how could Kathy say how serious it really was?

After a few long seconds of panicked thought, Andra let out a low groan, clenching her eyes shut a little tighter, and grinding her teeth slightly. She mumbled something through clenched teeth.

The darker haired woman almost jumped, leaning down slightly, "Wh-what? What did you say? Are you alright?"

Andra opened her eyes, squinting slightly without her glasses, _"_ _Please stop shouting,"_ she said a little more loudly, shifting to sit up. Her head spun, stomach protesting the motion, forcing her to clench her teeth and swallow down bile. She took a few seconds to take slow breaths and calm herself, leaning heavily on one arm. The other ached badly, and she was having trouble remembering exactly how they had gotten...wherever they were. She could see as far as the edge of the flowers, then her vision went blurry, and that was discounting the occasional swimming dark spots from what she was certain was a concussion.

Kathy sat back a little, letting her friend take stock of her own condition for a moment, while quickly looking herself over. She moved around a bit, wincing when pain lanced through her ankle. Most likely a sprain from right before they'd fallen. She was bruised and scraped up in a few places, and she wouldn't have been surprised if something was broken. She returned her attention to Andra, "How're you feeling?"

The redhead had put a hand to her head, and some blood had streaked through her hair, dripping slightly down her forehead, "Ugh...well, this new streak definitely isn't hair-dye," she muttered, "I'll be...I'll be fine. My head is killing me..." She almost whined.

"Are you sure you're going to be fine?" The other woman asked disbelievingly.

"No," she admitted, shifting to pull her knees to her chest, still clutching her head. She sounded small.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes a moment and clearing her head, "We need to get something to clean that and get it bandaged up. Can you get the first aid kit out of your backpack?" She asked, trying to keep the other woman focused on something to keep her alert.

Andra would have nodded if she weren't certain her head would fall off or something. She opened her eyes, moving to grab the backpack she had been wearing. A little blood smudged on the fabric as she unzipped it, grabbing the kit by the handle with her clean hand and yanking it out of the bag. Her hands shook slightly as she popped open the box, "O-okay," she said, a little unsteady, "Here." She turned the kit toward Kathy, blinking rapidly for a moment, as if to keep herself awake.

She gave a gentle smile, "It's gonna be alright...um..." she pulled on a pair of disposable gloves, her own hands a little shaky with her worry. What else were you supposed to do for a concussion? Uh...crap...keep them talking? That sounded right, "Now talk to me Andra. What do you remember?" She asked with forced calm as she began working to clean the cut.

She closed her eyes, wrinkling her nose at the sting of the alcohol against the injury, "I remember...um...c-can you be more specific?"

"Where are we now?"

"We were...we ate breakfast...and then we went to Mt. Ebott, and..." tears burned her eyes as pain shot through her head while she tried to remember, "Ugh. Why does it hurt to think? That damn dream this morning was the same way...." She grumbled, making an effort not to move while her friend continued to clean and work on dressing the wound.

She frowned, "Dream? Was that why you were acting so weird?"

"I...I guess...m-maybe?" She flinched, not sure if it was due to the headache, or the scratch of rough gauze on raw skin, "I remember...this weird...f-figure, they-- _AGH!"_ She curled up slightly as an intense, white hot flash of pain shot through her skull, and she heard the word "no" being repeated over and over again, seeming to come from all around her, until she realised she was whispering it.

Kathy was pale, "A-Andra...are you alright? What happened?"

 _"N-no...no...nonononononono....._ I can't...please...don't make me talk anymore...I can't....no...." Her words came in rapid succession, and she seemed to have no control over herself. She was hyperventilating, and her mouth was starting to go numb. It felt like a panic attack. She had a pill for that, if she could just clear her head enough to ask for one. The gravity of the situation was hitting her all at once. They had fallen. She remembered that now. 

She rocked slightly where she sat, clutching her head again, half wrapped bandage clinging to the wound.

They were stuck here. That was why her intuition had told her to pack extra. To leave her friend behind, though she had insisted on coming. She had wanted to protect her, and now they were both stuck here. No one ever came back from Mt. Ebott. Those weren't just old-folks' ramblings, "Oh, gods..." Andra breathed quietly, trying to calm herself, and failing, "Gods...we're stuck here. We're not gonna find a way out. We're trapped, and we're never gonna get out of here, and it's all my fault, and, and...." She continued to ramble incoherently, her words running together into a jumbled mess.

Kathy pulled her carefully into a hug, mindful of her injuries, "Andra, shhh," she whispered soothingly, barely audible over the other woman's sobs, " Ssshhhhh. It's alright. There's a way. There's always a way. Deep breaths. You're going to be alright.  _We're_ going to be alright. This wasn't anyone's fault, hon..."

Andra tried to argue, but Kathy continued to gently reassure her, until the panicked sobs had calmed to occasional choked gasps and sniffles, "S-sorry," she mumbled, voice cracked a little, "I'm not helping anything breaking down like that..."

She smiled lightly, "Don't worry about it. I know you can't help it sometimes," she said kindly, "Are you alright now?"

The rainbow-haired woman nodded, cringing lightly at the motion, but not reacting as strongly as she had, "I'm better, but...I should take my...my Pro...Propranolol...it'll keep me from having another episode. I need a clear head for this."

"Alright. Do you need me to get it for you?"

"Please..." She sounded a little small.

She released her from the hug, patting her uninjured shoulder gently, before moving to grab the pills and get a few out, having removed the gloves during her friend's episode. She cracked open a bottle of water as well, handing them both to the other carefully, "Drink it slow. You don't wanna waste the meds, if your stomach can't take it."

The younger woman managed a small smile, "Thanks," she replied quietly, taking the pills with a gulp of water, and rinsing her hands off with a splash from the bottle. She drained the rest of the bottle in small sips, waiting for the pills to kick in, and for her head to clear a little more. She fixed her bandage absently. Her headache faded, and soon after, she was able to attempt standing up, looking around for a moment before finding her glasses, a little scratched, and smudged, but otherwise no worse for the wear. She tried in vain to clean them on her shirt, before shoving them on with her palm blinking a few times, and trying to get oriented as she saw the detail of the place for the first time, "Gods be damned...." She murmured, doing a slow turn, before looking down at her friend, "I think I'm ready to look around a bit, if you are?"

Kathy glanced up, her pant leg rolled up to show a badly swollen and bruised ankle, "I'm not sure if I'm up for walking..."

She flinched at the view, glad for the calming effect of her meds, "I can...um...I can look around ahead to see if there's a way out?" She asked slowly, her own intuition screaming at her that it was a bad idea.

The other woman seemed to see the doubt in her eyes, and frowned up at her, "I don't think so. We don't know what's down here. It's better to stick together." 

Andra adjusted her glasses, sighing, "I know...but I'm still worried about you," she replied quietly, offering a hand, "I can help you walk, but it might be a little awkward." She didn't want to call their height difference to attention, but it was an issue.

She seemed to understand, smiling kindly, a warm, gentle feeling spreading through her chest as she took her friend's hand, getting up on her good leg, and carefully hauling her backpack with her other arm, "Bend your arm...right there," she instructed, "And I can hold onto it for support."

The ginger nodded, "Alright. We can look around for something to use as a walking stick or something."

Once the two had all their things, and were ready to start walking (Andra had quickly picked up their trash, something telling her that it would be appreciated by...someone, though gods knew where she'd gotten _that_ idea), they shambled a little awkwardly out of the area, taking a little time to look around as they walked.

Though really, what did they have other than time? Even with the panic gone, she somehow knew there was no way out of here. But...she didn't mind, and for some unknown reason that didn't worry her. She wondered if she had finally snapped. Heh. That'd be interesting, now wouldn't it?

Kathy frowned, "Are you okay?"

She gave a soft, slightly cracked laugh, "You keep asking that question," she replied, "I'm concussed, and stuck inside a mountain, but I suppose I've been worse.?"

The brunette laughed as well, smiling lightly, "Good," she replied.

They fell quiet, focusing on progressing through the area, looking around as they walked, before they came to another darkened area, another light filtering from a crack in the ceiling, onto some scattered flowers like those in the other room, one larger than the others. 

Then...the flower... _turned?_ It had a face. Why did the flower have a face?

"I really am crazy." Andra muttered, laughing faintly.

The flower...dimpled, "Howdy, Crazy. I'm Flowey," ...he?...said cheerfully.

Kathy's eyes widened a little, "Huh? Is this some sort of...animatronic? Were they trying to turn Mt. Ebott into a theme park or something? Where are the wires?"

"He's a flower. Maybe he's solar powered," Andra replied drily, not getting a good feeling from the flower, "Come on, let's just keep going." She moved to keep walking, regardless of what her friend said, but a shout stopped them a few feet past the strange thing.

"Wait!" It popped out of the ground directly in front of them, "I know you guys must be real confused. You're a human, right?" He stuck his tongue out.

How did a flower even have a tongue?

Andra stared at him with an unamused glare, clearly uncharacteristic of her, "Yeah, but mostly by why you haven't gotten out of our way," she said with an abnormal level of aggression.

Kathy, while wary and more than a little surprised by the flower's magic trick, was more worried by how her roommate was acting, "Um...Andra?"

She sighed, "I know, I'm acting weird. My head just hurts," she lied.

Flowey brightened, "Ooh, gee! Why didn't you say so? I can help you guys! Humans aren't supposed to look like that, huh?"

She narrowed her eyes, "You want to help us." She said disbelievingly. She was usually the first to trust, even if something was strange and overwhelming, but this thing made her want to run the other way.

"Of course, Crazy! You two just hold still there! I'll show you!" He said cheerfully, closing his eyes for a moment.

Kathy gasped, and a pained tug pulled at her chest, making her lean heavily on Andra, who was hardly staying upright herself as the same thing seemed to be happening. The ache spread through her body, into her bones, and down to her core, before moving back out into her fingertips like an electric tingle.

Their vision went black for a moment. When it cleared, the pain had faded, and two gently glowing hearts floated in the air in front of them. They were on their knees, still joined at the arm, though neither remembered kneeling.

The heart in front of Kathy was a vibrant, swirling green, radiating warmth, and soft, forgiving edges. Deeper greens ran through the lighter ones, weaving in and out of the multiple shades, the multifaceted colour as complicated as the woman herself.

The other heart was an almost shattered combination of colours in blue and purple, darker than that of her friend, and more divided.

"What the hell is that?" Andra demanded breathlessly, adjusting her glasses as if they were to blame for what she was seeing.

"Those are your souls!" Flowey answered readily, "The very culmination of your being. You've got some really interesting ones!"

"They're...beautiful..." Kathy breathed, reaching up hesitantly to touch her own, "How is this even possible? How did you do this?" Her voice shook slightly.

"Magic! The whole Underground is chock full of it! And that's how I'm gonna heal you guys," he replied happily.

"Heal us? Well...that would...um...be really nice of you..."

"You're able to pull our souls out, and you can't heal our bodies directly?" Andra asked suspiciously.

She could've sworn that, for the briefest of instants, the flower's face went dark, but the smile was there again before she could blink, a happy chuckle resonating in the cave, though it sounded almost...empty, "That's not how magic works." He winked, sticking out his tongue, "Now, you can move your souls around if you concentrate on them. I'm gonna send some healing magic your way. You can try and catch it! It'll be fun!" A plethora of glowing white orbs appeared around him, "Ready?"

"I'm really not in the mood for fun," Andra glared over the top of her glasses.

Flowey almost smirked, "If you say so, Crazy." The pellets shot toward them.

Andra gripped her friend's arm, "Dodge." She almost growled through clenched teeth.

The world went white around them. The pellets passed harmlessly into the ground on either side of them, a few passing through their bodies with no effect.

Flowey looked furious through blurred vision, but as their vision cleared, his expression had settled into a pout, "Why did you dodge? I can't heal you if you don't catch them."

"Because you're a weird ass talking flower inside a dormant volcano, who  _painfully pulled our souls out of our bodies._ How are we supposed to take that?" Andra demanded, trying to will her soul back into herself. It moved closer, but it didn't absorb back inside.

His grin turned a little psychotic, "Ahh. You're a smart one, huh, Crazy? You think you know what's going on here, don't you?" The pretense of innocence dropped entirely.

Kathy's eyes widened and she stumbled back a little unintentionally, falling back onto her ass. Her soul was pulled along, as if by an invisible string, "When did that thing turn evil? Holy crap! What th--?!"

The redhead tensed, "Be ready to dodge," she told her friend firmly.

An insane laugh echoed around them. They were surrounded by the glowing pellets, the glow getting brighter as they spiraled around them climbing higher until they couldn't look in any direction without seeing the glow, " **Dodge this!** " The voice was unrecognisable from the happy-go-lucky tone he had used before.

_"Shit!"_


	3. Language and Destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fixed the issue with my mic! Enjoy the audio for this one, or and continue reading below!  
> http://www.mediafire.com/file/csv52n7mpxdxeb1/Falling_for_a_Deal_chapter_3.mp3

A thin column of fire shot up from the ground, swirling in tight spirals around the two women, though the heat was more pleasant than painful, at least on this side of things.

The pellets fizzled and sparked as they hit the fire, and the insane flower's laughter faded, turning into an enraged scream. There was a brief scuffle, before the flower was gone, and the fire dissipated. None of the natural plant life in the cave had been harmed, and there were no scorch marks. 

Andra and Kathy had both closed their eyes, though neither realised until they opened them to a...goat...woman? Standing in front of them.

The goat smiled gently, showing the tips of feminine fangs, that, while not quite characteristic of goats, certainly fit her appearance, "Oh my goodness. Are you girls alright? Why was that awful creature attacking you?"

Kathy opened her mouth to speak, closing it again, unsure what to say.

Andra spoke up instead, "What the hell was that? What are you? I mean...I see, you're like...a goat, or something? And good for you and all, and thanks for scaring that homicidal flower thing off, but what in the name of holy fuck is going on here?" Her words ran together a bit, and it was taking a moment for her really calm down again. Pills could only do so much.

The goat-woman frowned at the redhead, "I understand you are...confused, and this is all very overwhelming, but there is  _no_ need for such language," she admonished firmly, smoothing her robes, and taking a calming breath, "I do not know what you have already been told by the...flower," she looked sad for a moment, but hid it quickly, "You girls are injured. Please...allow me to heal you."

"That's what Flowey said," Kathy spoke up, a little suspicious.

The woman sighed, "At least allow me to return your souls to you," she didn't wait for permission, concentrating for a brief moment, before an invisible thread seemed to snap, and their souls sank back into their bodies, comfortable warmth spreading through them both, "I'm sure that feels much better. I can't imagine that he must have been all too gentle. I am very sorry you had to go through that."

The hair dye addict finally calmed once her soul had been returned, taking a few soothing breaths, and raking a hand through her hair. She could feel the energy coming off of the woman, and...it was...oddly comforting. She managed a smiled, adjusting her glasses, "Sorry for my outburst," she said quickly, looking at Kathy, "It's alright Kathy. We can trust her. I've got a feeling."

The darker-haired woman sighed, "You and your feelings...okay," she replied quietly.

The (older? Ehhh...yeaaahh, older--she felt like a mom) female shivered slightly, when Andra seemed to observe her, before returning her attention to them, her focus mostly on Kathy, as she had spoken last, "You are human, are you not?" She asked gently, moving a few steps closer.

The smaller woman blinked lightly, looking down for a moment, "Um...y-yeah. I am. I'm assuming that's...unusual down here, then?"

She glanced between the two girls, her gaze lingering on Andra for the briefest of moments, before returning to Kathy, "More unusual than you would think, little one," she said guardedly.

The darker haired woman frowned, "I'm not little. I'm almost eight months older than her," she protested, pointing at her taller companion.

The goat-lady looked a bit surprised at that. The redhead had seemed to have some very...old magic, but the girls were practically the same age. The information certainly piqued a certain curiosity, but she would keep it to herself for now, "And how old are you?" She asked the other gently.

"24," Andra shrugged.

The robed woman stood a little straighter, "Is that...in human, or monster years?" She asked, a little uncertain. She wasn't entirely sure how long humans actually lived anymore.

The ginger frowned, "Mon--? What? Human years. Why would you even ask that?"

"Oh, dear...you're both much younger than I thought," she dodged, before a sudden realisation crossed her features, "Oh my goodness! I have neglected to introduce myself! My name is Toriel! I am the guardian of these ruins."

Andra and Kathy exchanged a brief glance.

"My name is Kathy," she said softly after a moment.

"Andra," the other replied, "You said you were going to heal us?" She added.

"Of course." Toriel said gently, kneeling gracefully beside Kathy, "Would you mind if I take care of you first, dear?"

"Uh...I-I guess?" She replied.

"You are unable to walk properly, aren't you? I promise, this will not hurt."

"That's what they always say  _right_ before it's about to hurt," she complained.

Andra took her hand, "It'll be alright," she reassured.

Toriel gave a gentle smile, her large, furred hands hovering a few inches above Kathy's injured ankle, "Please hold still as best you can."

A deep, comforting heat absorbed into her ankle, green healing magic filling the space between the goat-woman's hands and Kathy's ankle. The heat increased, from comforting to almost unpleasant, until there was a sudden sharp pain as the bone snapped back into place.

"Agh! Fuck! You said it wouldn't hurt!"

"Language," Toriel said, not angrily, "If I had told you it would hurt, would it have hurt any less? No. You would have been anticipating it. I am nearly done." The heat faded a little, as the fracture healed, and it slowly spread along her skin, healing the cuts, and bruises along the way, before she pulled back her magic, "There you are. Better?"

Kathy rolled her ankle slightly, pleasantly surprised at the marked lack of pain. She released a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding, smiling in relief, "That...feels a lot better. Thank you. But can you take care of Andra now? She hit her head on the way down..."

Toriel hesitated, "I can heal the surface wounds easily, and any broken bones she may have, but the brain is beyond my expertise, and I can't guarantee that her own magic will not react."

Andra frowned, "Um...I don't have magic. So you don't have to worry about that. Most humans don't."

"No, they don't," she replied, "You, however, child, do."

Her frown deepened, "I'm not a child," she replied, "I'm a legal adult. And what do you mean I have magic? That's impossible."

Toriel gave a soft, kind laugh, "Apologies, dear. Perhaps I am mistaken. However, I have a few millennia on you. I will still try to refrain from calling either of you children."

"Millennia? Damn, you look  _good_ for your age," Andra murmured, "Not that I'm any judge of goat-creatures, or anything."

The motherly goat woman cleared her throat, "Ah...enough of that. Come here, I will see what I can do for your injuries. We will still have to keep an eye on you for a few nights if you are truly concussed."

She frowned, "A few nights?"

"We'll just need to wake you every so often to make sure that you've suffered no short term memory loss," Toriel brushed her hair back gently under the bandage with her clawed fingers, "Hold still dear. I'm going to use my magic now, alright?" 

"Alright," she said, biting her lip and closing her eyes.

The goat woman placed her larger hands on either side of Andra's head, her magic radiating out of them in a glowing green...before hitting some sort of barrier. She frowned, pressing her magic in a little more, testing the limits of the boundary, before a sudden, visible, deep purple energy pulsed out from the girl, knocking Toriel's magic back in a shockwave.

Andra's eyes snapped open, her pupils flaring wide for a moment, the irises briefly ringed in orange, before fading to golden yellow again. The purple magic rippled out of her for a few seconds more, disjointed images flashing across her mind's eye faster than she could understand them, before finally calming. She groaned lowly, putting a hand to her head to replace Toriel's now missing hands, "What the hell happened?"

Toriel seemed suddenly drained, her magic retreating back into her as if in reaction. 

Andra paled a little, "U-um...T-toriel? I'm sorry, are you okay?"

She smiled, taking a moment to catch her breath, "Please do not worry about me, dear. I am simply a little...winded. I apologise that I could not heal your injuries," she said gently.

"But why? What just happened there?"

"It seems that you do indeed have magic," Toriel replied, taking Andra's hand comfortingly, "If...you have no experience with it, you are in an excellent place to learn how to use your abilities." Even if every instinct in her told her that this magic had no business here, "Come now. If I cannot heal you, then it is best we move along immediately. I can explain more about this place as we walk."

Kathy nodded slowly, both she and Andra getting up carefully from the ground, brushing themselves off. She leaned over slightly to her friend, eyes sparkling slightly, "I'll be honest, Andra," she said slowly.

The redhead looked at her, a little nervously, "Um...what?"

"That was too amazing! What do you think you can do? You should make a cake! With magic! It's cooler if you use magic."

Andra blinked slowly before laughing, grinning widely, showing off an extra canine above her other teeth. She didn't normally smile that widely, "I...don't think it works like that."

Toriel gave a laugh of her own, "It isn't, but I am glad to see that you girls are enthusiastic," she replied.

"Of course we are. This is the kind of stuff we've been fantasizing about since we met!" The brunette said enthusiastically.

"Since we were kids," her friend added, a little more reserved, now that she was calmer, but still oddly happy, "I just didn't believe it was possible. Not...not to this degree."

"Oh, stop trying to act like you didn't spend the first week we knew eachother trying to control the rain, Andra," Kathy teased.

"I thought I could influence it. I didn't think someone could heal a broken bone without ever touching it. Even if my body somehow rejected the same magic."

"Your  _magic_ rejected my magic, dear," Toriel was leading them through the path, taking her time as they walked, letting them talk, "I have supplies for more traditional healing at home. Salves, and oils and such. It just may take a little longer for you to recover."

"That's fine. This isn't my first head injury," she replied with a shrug.

Toriel flinched, "Oh my...I am sorry to hear that. Do you have a tendency toward injury, or--?"

"I have a tendency toward pissing off the wrong people, without meaning to," she replied, "It was just some stupid kids when I was younger. It really isn't a big deal."

Kathy's smile faded at that, and for a moment she looked angry.

Toriel stopped in her tracks, turning, and taking the redhead by her forearms firmly, but gently, holding her so she faced her, " _Do not_ discount your health, and well-being so easily, Andra. Whether or not this is your past, or you forgive these children for what they did to you, you will never speak of yourself so dismissively. Do you understand me?"

The redhead's golden-yellow eyes widened a little, and she would have tried to pull back if not for her injured shoulder, "I..."

The shorter woman cracked a smile, "Oooh, someone is in trouble...."

Andra shot her a brief glare.

"Don't give me that look, I've been telling you that same thing for years," she said, hands on her hips.

The rainbow-haired woman sighed, looking back to Toriel, "I'm sorry. It's...an old habit. And I know that's no excuse."

The older female's expression softened, and she released her arms, taking her hands gently, "I am not asking for an apology, dear. I simply wish for you to acknowledge that you are worthy of consideration. You did not answer my question. Do you understand?"

Her eyes widened a little, and tears stung her eyes for a moment, before looking down, not meeting the goat woman's eyes, "I understand. Can't make any guarantees. But I understand."

She sighed, giving her hands a gentle squeeze, and releasing them, "That will have to do," she replied, "Come now. I will explain some things down here...."

Andra nodded lightly, shifting to hug herself slightly, flinching slightly at the pain in her shoulder, "We're not gonna get out of here, are we?"

Toriel paused, holding her breath a moment, before letting it out in a slow release, "How did you know?"

"I had a feeling." She shrugged.

Kathy's eyes widened, and she stiffened slightly where she stood, her hands clenching unconsciously at her sides. There was no way back? Had they...had they really fallen down here...forever? But...but they had lives on the surface. She had a decent job, she was going to school. What would their friends and coworkers think when they found that they were missing? What about her  _boyfriend?_ He would be worried sick! Would he come looking for her? Would he...would he move on? What if he couldn't? God...what if he  _could_? Not that she wouldn't  _want_ him to move on if they really couldn't get back, but how long would he wait for her?

Andra moved closer to her friend, not seeing her distress, but feeling it. She wrapped her good arm around her in a half hug, "It's going to be okay," she said, "I don't know why, but something tells me this was...always going to happen. I don't know if that makes you feel any better, but it was out of our control."

The darker haired woman took a shaky breath, nodding slowly as she tried to keep her composure, "I...I'm not sure if I want to think about this right now..." she sounded small.

The taller of the two tightened the hug for a moment, "I understand. Tori...um...I hope it's okay if I call you that. Sorry. Not sure where that came from. Uh... T-toriel. Would you mind telling us more about this place? It seems we'll need to know,"  _if we're going to be stuck here._

The woman gave a sad smile, "Of course dear. And that's fine, you may call me Tori if you would like."


	4. Sweet Pie and Bitter Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://www.mediafire.com/file/2tvtwd5tlyt6654/Falling_For_a_Deal_chapter_4_%281%29.mp3

The trip through the ruins was largely uneventful. Toriel allowed the two girls to distract themselves with puzzles, though was more careful of Andra, not wanting her to aggravate her unhealed injuries.

They had a brief interaction with a ghost, and the redhead was a little surprised when, with her magic, she managed to give the ethereal creature a hug when he was crying, the same barrier that had kept out Toriel's magic keeping her from phasing through the spirit, while Kathy had spoken comforting words, not forgetting why she was upset, but letting herself enjoy the moment at least.

When they reached the small cottage, the occasional cracks in the mountain above them had stopped, reducing to the point of nonexistence. Still, the Autumnal area was cozy and comfortable, the air holding just the slightest chill, the pleasant scent of cinnamon and dried herbs filling the air around them, a hint of butterscotch wafting from the direction of the house. The branches of a large, old tree curved high above them from the trunk in the middle of a decently sized yard, covered in a seemingly fresh blanket of crunchy leaves in orange, brown, gold, yellow and red.

Toriel smiled lightly, "Welcome to my home. While you are here, please feel free to make yourselves comfortable. It is not much. I will admit...adults do not usually fall down here."

Andra flinched, "The stories are usually about children," she said quietly.

The goat woman nodded, hands folded in front of her, a sad look crossing her gentle features, "Yes. All of them. A few different ages, between seven and 15 human years. They...they all passed through here."

"What happened to them?" Kathy asked hesitantly, comforted by their surroundings, but worried for the woman who had brought them here.

She smiled, a little pained, "They left. To try and find a way out of the Underground. And if this place is too small for a child, I can hardly expect two grown women to stick around with this old lady," she gave an almost bitter laugh.

The redhead gave her a sympathetic smile, "Well...we know we're stuck down here, but...I'm assuming there's more than just the ruins."

"Yes. You seem to have a talent for guesswork. I wonder if you could figure out what lies beyond on your own?"

Andra tilted her head slightly. She had practiced here and there on various objects as they had walked through the ruins, finding a fair level of precognitive ability in her newfound magic, "Uh...I could um...I could try, I guess," she shrugged, closing her eyes a moment and biting her lip as she concentrated, "Um...I..." She took a slow, deep breath, eight seconds in, ten seconds out, then again, "Pie...no...cookies...both? Yeah. Then...a..." she almost blushed, but didn't seem to realise it, "D-darkness... _sleep_..." her voice was going soft, and trance-like, "Then snow. Ice and cold. A...grin. Power." She shook her head, opening her eyes, "I can't see any further, and now my head is killing me."

Kathy grinned widely, "Aaaaahhh!!! That was  _sooo_ cool though!"

Toriel gave a gentle chuckle, "You certainly have quite the talent. Come now, dears. Why don't we get inside? You two can get yourselves cleaned up, and I can get some healing salves on you."

She gave a half nod, "Thank you very much, Tori. We appreciate it."

"You are both quite welcome," she replied, ushering them inside the warm house. The butterscotch smell intensified, along with the scent of cinnamon and old books. There was an underlying smoky scent from Toriel's fire magic, and an overall pleasant smell of dust and sugar, "Now...I have a room available for each of you...however...I fear that neither has been prepared, and they are meant for children...so the beds may be a little uncomfortable."

"Oh, no no, don't worry about it!" Kathy said quickly.

"We'll both be fine with anything you can give us," Andra added immediately.

The motherly woman beamed, "You girls are good souls," she said gently, blinking rapidly for a moment, "Allow me to show you around a moment."

The tour was a quick one, the guest rooms on either side of Toriel's bedroom. Both were small, and disused, but tidy. Each had a twin sized bed, and looked...homey. As if someone else had been sleeping there just the night before, and they were intruding by being there. But it was welcoming at the same time.

The same golden flowers that had broken their fall were scattered throughout the house, in various vases, all of them without water, the resilient plants surviving without soil, sunlight, or water, sustaining themselves on magic alone. Persevering.

Toriel spotted Andra looking at them and hesitated, "When you leave here...would you like to take one with you, dear?"

She froze, looking at the older woman, "I...um..." The flowers had a lot of meaning to her. It would be cruel to take them, but with her offering, it would be ruder to say no, "I would appreciate it, if you really want to give me one." She smiled.

The goat woman laughed softly, "I...knew a child once...who very much loved these flowers. I keep them here in their memory. We were very close. But you seem to remind me of these flowers. They match your eyes." She brushed Andra's hair back in a motherly gesture.

The redhead flushed in embarrassment, looking down. Her own mother hadn't been this nice to her. Maybe it was a...monster thing? The name really didn't seem to fit, no matter what Tori insisted they called themselves. Humans were more monster than this most of the time, "Thanks," she said quietly, "I'll make sure I remember to grab one before we go. I...was afraid to pick one back where we fell."

"I appreciate the consideration, dear.

The day wore on, the girls settling down, discussing the night. There were a few breakdowns, and tears, quietly soothed by either Toriel or whichever girl wasn't having an emotional episode or both. They had cookies, and pie, and the older woman showed them how to warm an oven with fire magic. Andra attempted to imitate the spell, and only got a flood of mental recipes on various baked goods, including one for snail pie.

Before she had a chance to think about it, lethargy overtook the dull ache in Andra's body, and she yawned loudly enough to interrupt Toriel in the book she was discussing with Kathy. She bit her lip, "S-sorry. It must be getting later than I thought I'm...exhausted. Is it alright if I head to bed?" She asked.

Toriel looked a little surprised, "Of course dear. You don't have to ask for permission. You're an adult. Sleep well. One of us will be in in four or five hours to check on you."

She smiled tiredly, "Alright," she replied, stretching lightly as she got up, going toward the bedroom at the far end of the house.

Andra closed the door softly, stripping out of her clothing and rolling it up so it took up less space, tossing it onto a chair in the corner so that she could put it underneath the clean clothes in her bag tomorrow. She paused a moment, before shrugging and removing her bra as well, with some effort. Her shoulder was bruised and tender to the touch, and she regretted forcing herself to carry the backpack as long as she had. She'd probably aggravated the injury.

The young woman went into her bag, taking out four tiny, identical pills, dropping them on her tongue and swallowing them like candy, before flicking off the light and snuggling under the blankets. She was asleep within minutes.

 

* * *

  **Dark.**  
**Darker.**  
**Yet darker.**

* * *

 

 

_Andra was surrounded by...nothing. And everything. It was as if the entirety of existence were balanced on the head of a non-existent pin. Precarious, and liable to fall apart the moment anyone looked too closely. What a familiar predicament. It was sad how easily she could relate._

_The strange voice from before echoed from everywhere and nowhere, taking several long moments before her mind translated the words into something comprehensible, **"You are injured."**_

_She looked around, finding a quite literal nothing, not dark, not white, just, nothing, before it coalesced into the form of a...man? Monster? Beast? He was none of those things. Not anymore._

_**"Owner is more apt,"** he replied with an almost amused tone,  **"Not that I would dream of making you call me that. It is simply how the contract I borrowed for our purposes was laid out. Now on the matter of your injuries..."**  
_

_She bristled, "Well what do you expect when you practically throw me off a mountain?" She demanded. Here she wasn't surprised by the contract, or the details. She knew all of this. Even if this...un-being still confused her._

_His laugh was chilling and molten at the same time, **"You know as well as I that I did what was necessary to move forward with the plan. For both our sakes."**_

_The shiver that ran through her was entirely involuntary, and it was impossible to tell what the non-entity before her was thinking as he cocked his head slightly._

**_"Are you finished interrupting me?"_ ** _He asked. His voice had taken on a dangerous, yet somehow amused tone._

_She paled, if that was even possible, nodding slowly._

_His twisted smile seemed to widen, **"Good. Please come closer. I am going to heal you. After all... these injuries**_ **are** _**entirely my fault."** _

_She hesitated, rooted to the spot, suddenly afraid to move even an inch._

_His eyes narrowed. Damn that girl. She had to work away at his self control, didn't she? He appeared behind her, a pair of hands smoothing gently over her shoulders, **"While I will not force you to call me your owner,"** he told her quietly, continuing to massage her shoulders gently, making her relax a little, leaning her head back as her lips parted in a soft groan,  **"Disobedience will not be tolerated."** The hand on her injured left shoulder squeezed tightly, the tips of his fingers digging in, making lights pop in her vision as the pain lanced into her physical shoulder through this metaphysical one._

_Andra bit back a scream of pain, waiting for it to fade before attempting to speak, "S-sorry, I'm sorry," she said quickly, "I'm just...overwhelmed."_

_The non-being was briefly confused, **"I do not understand, but I suppose your human origin has much to do with it,"** or the fact that he had been trapped in the void for...emptiness knew how long,  **"Now, do as I say, and you'll be fine. I'm going to heal you."** He moved closer. By the multiverse, she was so...warm._

_She stiffened slightly, "What should I call you?" She asked quickly. He paused, too close to her for her comfort._

_**"Hm?"** He pulled away slightly,  **"My name was...will**_ **_be_...** **is _...W.D. Aster. But I am called Gaster. A nickname. One that I do not remember the origins of."_** _His hands were still on her shoulders, massaging away the aches in a gentle swirl of green healing magic, and Gaster's own purple magic, a darker shade from her own blue-tinged purple._

_"Gaster," she tested his name. She could feel reality shiver. The nonexistence behind her shivered as well._

_A second pair of hands rested on the curve of her bare waist, a soft glow of magic rippling into her skin, making another soft moan pass her lips. Gaster smirked, desire flaring. He could take her here, if he wished. He_ owned _her_   _here._

_"What are you doing?" She asked, worrying at her lip nervously. This wasn't right._

_Another hand brushed through her hair, trailing over the injury above her hairline, **"I told you,"** he almost growled, a little impatiently. Hm. That was unlike him. Or at least he thought it was. He released some magic into it._

_The magic straight to her brain, inside her own head, made her dizzy. She collapsed, but he somehow caught her, with gods knew how many hands already occupied. She had trouble keeping track as they all slowly trailed over her skin, sending in healing energy, and soothing heat, and...something darker._

_**"You are injured,"** his hands wandered, over her shoulders, back, waist, calves,  **"Broken..."** over her thighs, down the sides of her neck, between her breasts,  **"Shattered..."** his fingers lightly caressed one of her breasts, as another hand ran over her ass, then around, to the front of her hip, pulling her tight against his surprisingly solid form,  **"A feeling I know all too well."** He growled lowly, making her practically melt.  
_

_She tried to catch her breath, as his purple magic, and his actions made her heady, "W-wait...G-Gaster..." Rhymes with Master._

_He chuckled as if he had heard the thought, **"I did,"** he purred, his hand in her hair tightening, pulling her head back,  **"You are quite the tease, aren't you little mage? Is that what you would call me instead?"**_

_She blushed, the colour crawling over her pale skin, golden eyes luminous in the nothing, as she twisted slightly to look over her shoulder at him. His face was almost...no, it certainly was a mask. A twisted representation of the face he no longer had, or quite remembered. She tried to imagine what he had once looked like. She couldn't get a read off of him._

_His eyes seemed to narrow, **"Would you prefer me to look as I once did?"** He demanded._

_She flinched, slowly nodding._

_**"Then you will honour our deal,"** he replied after a moment, the tip of a glowing purple tongue passing from between his jagged smile, trailing possessively along the column of her neck,  **"Here, in your dreams...you belong to**_ **ME."** _His hands tightened their grip on her body, one of them tweaking her nipple a little roughly, causing a gasping moan that made him purr in satisfaction, **"If you try to avoid me...spend more time awake...you**_ **will _owe me. And I will decide how I take that payment. Do you understand, Little Mage?"_** _  
_

_Andra couldn't believe this was happening. He had seemed so...well, for lack of a more appropriate term..._ put together _, before._

_He gave a deep, growling chuckle, **"You may find that I'm a little...scattered at times, Andra. I hope you understand..."** He replied, his "face" buried against her neck, as he took in what he could of her scent in this place, relishing the limited sensory input he was able to borrow from her._

_She gulped lightly, trying to concentrate past the heady feeling and the...the need, that she had never really allowed herself to feel, "I-I...Gaster, we...we can't do this--"_

**_"You don't seem to have much of a choice in the matter. I saw inside your mind. You_   like  _having someone else in control,"_** _he smirked, massaging her hips, pulling her legs apart slightly so that a pair of hands could move up and down the inside of her thighs, **"But humour me, mage. What exactly do you think we cannot do? I'd be happy to wager against it."**_

_"We can't do...whatever this is...this wasn't part of the deal..."_

_Gaster's smile seemed to crack wider with almost audible sound, **"The deal was that I could use your body and soul...to do whatever I deem necessary to maintain my thin line of existence in this timeline. This is an extension of that, Andra. As for not being**_ **able _to do it...we already are, so it seems you have lost our little bet. You're not only able,"_** _the hands on her thighs suddenly spread them wider, two magic-laced fingers sending heat into her core, coming away wet, **"But it seems to me as if you are willing."**_

_Before she could speak, the fingers were back, one hand massaging that same intoxicating heat-and-something-else into her clit as two fingers pressed into her, making her twist in his hold. He allowed her to writhe, his hands more than able to keep up with her unpredictable motions. It was astonishing how sensitive she really was already, especially in what, for all intents and purposes, was just a really high-stakes dream._

_His ministrations varied between methodical and precise, gleaning specific reactions from his subject, and uncontrolled. Wild. He had been without any sensation for so long, it was difficult not to give into impulse entirely, and just bend the young woman over, and take her with no warning, or preparation. But if her first experience was to be in a dream, then he was going to make it memorable._ **Someone** _would remember him. No matter what happened._

_He continued his attentions, manipulating her body expertly, taking her own memories, and the cues he gleaned from her reactions to his treatment, to bring her to the brink. His tongue flicked against her ear, causing her body to shiver from head to toe, "Nnh...G-Gaster...Gods...p-please don't...." She gasped, her throat dry, her breath shallow._

_He chuckled darkly, **"Don't...what?"**_

_The redhead strained against his multi-handed hold, looking for more, or less stimulation, or just...some sort of change to push her over that edge that he had her riding, "Don't stop there...please...please...Gaster..._ Mmm...Master _? Keep going."_

_He pressed his fingers into her g-spot, flooding the nerves with his magic, and watching her expression as agonised pleasure played across her face, her ephemeral body trembling and writhing in uncontrolled ecstasy as her own purple and blue magic burst out of her, briefly painting the nothing around them in bright shades of pigment. An unrepressed scream of pleasure tore from her throat, echoing into a thousand worlds._

_He watched as she came down from her climax, a slow feeling of...realisation. Of dread, going through him. Yes, he wanted to go further, but...he had already betrayed her trust. Her confidence. What had he done? She had only one soulmate in this timeline, and it was most certainly not him. He had simply gone for so long without touch...he couldn't truly take her first time from her. Not in a dream, and not like this, and_ not _when she was slated to be with his son. He had been weak. Foolish. And...._

 _He set her down gently, the girl clearly still too buzzed with magic to react to any sort of stimuli. He couldn't help bringing the hand he'd been using on her most sensitive area to his mouth, his glowing tongue flicking out to lick her juices from his fingers as he deeply inhaled her scent. This was wrong, but the fact still stood. It had been_ so _long since he had_ **tasted** **anything** _.... An involuntary shiver went through him, and he forced himself to take a step back._

_He contemplated wiping her memory of this, but the last time had caused some...undue distress, and that was the last thing he wanted to do to the girl, especially if this was unsuccessful. His own desires while...ahem...servicing her had been a bit...counterproductive to that goal, and could well have served to negate any memory erasure he might attempt on his...what was she to him? Not merely a body. That sort of thinking led to what he had just done...and certainly not a subject, the poor girl was no experiment!_

_His thoughts were interrupted when a low, unfocused groan came from the girl curled on the (surprisingly comfortable) bottom of the the nothing, "Wh-why am I down here? I thought we were--?" She started to sit up._

_Gaster held up three of his hands to silence her, the others behind his back as he looked away from her, looking contemplative, **"My behaviour was unacceptable. You have my sincerest apologies for taking such advantage of your inexperience."**_

_Her somewhat unfocused eyes widened a little, and she blushed, staring up at him, "Uh...I..." What was she supposed to say to that? No one ever apologised to her._

_Silence hung in the non-air between them._

_She got to her feet, feeling the suddenly self-conscious need to cover herself. As if in response to her thought, her magic spiraled around her to form a deep purple-blue dress, the colour of night. It was a dream...so why not? The cover didn't seem to help much, though. She was still blushing noticeably, her golden eyes downcast. She placed a hand where she believe Gaster's shoulder should be, biting her lip, "I...forgive you."_

_His smile cracked wider again, but the forgiveness tasted bitter, **"You should wake now, little mage. Your friend will be in to check on you in a moment."**_

_The nothing began to fade._

* * *

 

_ _


	5. Confessions and Contracts

Andra opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling. She was still flushed, the dream far more vivid than the one from that morning had been. She remembered everything. In full detail. Ugh...holy shit. She took a slow breath, moving to grab a t-shirt from her bag, pulling it on just before there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come on in Kathy," she called through the door as she sat back down on the bed. She had untucked her bandage, knowing she was entirely healed, unraveling it as her friend opened the door.

"Hey, you're getting good at tha--wait, Andra, what're you doing? You shouldn't be taking that off yet, should you?"

She glanced up, "I'm fine," she said calmly, "I...I'm healed." She finished removing the bandage. There was a fair amount of blood dried onto several layers of it, and to her skin, but it flaked off when she brushed her fingers through her hair, parting it to show the other her uninjured scalp, "See?"

The brunette stared a moment, before leaning over and poking her previously injured shoulder.

The other looked looked a little annoyed, but didn't react in pain, "Believe me, now?"

"Wow! Did your magic do that? That's so awesome! Are you gonna heal every time you sleep?" She asked excitedly, "How's your head? Can you remember everything alright?"

She blushed darkly at the mention of sleep, shaking her head rapidly, "Kathy, please, just slow down for a sec. I haven't been awake that long. My head is fine, and my memory...is better than it uh...than it could be," not that she wanted to forget...did she? Fuck. This was really confusing. It had felt wrong, but...amazing.

"Andra...what's the matter with you?" Concern furrowed Kathy's brow.

The redhead looked down, "N-nothing. I just had um...a hell of a dream." She took a slow breath, worrying at her lip.

The older of the two rose an eyebrow, smirking, "Ooh,  _that_ kind of dream," she gave an exaggerated wink, "Well, if you're okay health wise, why not tell me about it, hmm? We could use a little normal. And what's more normal than girl time?" She teased.

"There was...nothing  _normal_ about this dream," no offence. Why did she care if he was offended? Did it count as rape if she enjoyed herself, and he put a stop to it before the lines were crossed?

Kathy sat on the bed next to her, "What happened?" She asked, "Why do you look so..." she paused, not sure what word to use to describe her friend's current look. Confused? Lost? "Conflicted?" She asked the last aloud.

She groaned, covering her face with both hands, glad not to have her glasses in the way, "Why am I so easy to read right now?" She asked, muffled.

"Because you blush like a sunburnt lobster. C'mon. I'll only judge you a little."

"You'll think I'm crazy."

"Okay. I believe in monsters, and crazy magic, and goat moms, and tsundere flowers. Are you saying I'm not crazy?" She grinned.

She peeked through her fingers, tensing for a moment as that strange voice crawled up her spine again.

_**If you wish to tell her of me, I think it would be for the best. She will meet me one day soon. It would be best if she is not taken by surprise, as she is your constant companion.** _

She hid behind her hands again, suddenly blushing more brightly,  _No, no. I am_ not  _telling her about what you...wh-what we...._ She could feel Gaster getting flustered in her head, and that almost gave her some satisfaction.

 _**Not about...** _ **ahem _...that. I meant our deal. I'm certain it would distract her from the events this evening's visit.... I suppose, if you prefer, I could explain, but I can't say that I'm in any stable state of mind for such a conversation, or the effects it would have on her._**

"Heelllloooo?" Kathy pried a hand from Andra's face, "You totally zoned out there, are you sure you're okay?"

She flinched, looking away again, "Y-yes, it's just...I'm trying to figure out the best way to say this."

The other shrugged, "Take your hands off of your face, open your mouth and talk," she replied.

She frowned at her before sighing, "I...I have to start a little earlier than the dream if I'm gonna tell you anything," she replied.

The brunette watched her carefully, settling a little more comfortably on the bed as her friend got more serious, "Okay, shoot."

The rainbow haired woman paused a moment, leaning on her knees with her crossed arms, memories of the contract that Gaster hadn't allowed her to keep flooding back to her mind.

 ** _Do not speak my name._** He warned in her head before she could start.

She frowned, but didn't take the time to ask why. She remembered how reality had seemed to shiver even in the dream. She could only imagine what it would do if she said his name while awake, "I've...been having strange dreams for a few nights now. About the mountain, and...a strange...um...m-man. Not human. Not monster, anymore, but..." she blushed, sighing, "Anyway, what he is isn't important. He made a mistake. A long time ago. And an instant ago. It scattered him across all of time and space, across all of possibility and impossibility. But somehow...enough of him found its way together to contact me. He erased himself from reality, and he needs to come back. He is a key part of time, and without him it's...unstable. It keeps resetting, starting over, and over and over. I'll admit, I don't know all of the details, but I know this much. He needs my help to come back, and he can't lie to me."

She stared a moment, "So...does that have something to do with why we're here?"

"Everything to do with it, more like," she sighed, "Or at least everything he's willing to tell me. He outright told me that while he can't lie, there are some things he won't say," she looked down, "For the sake of the timeline."

"How do you know he isn't lying about lying?

Andra bit her lip, covering her eyes a moment with her right hand, not wanting to see the look on her friend's face, "I uh...s-signed a contract with him."

"You  _what?_ Andra, you don't even know what or who this guy is, and you signed a contract? What if something happens to you?"

"I'm going to be fine, Kathy," she interrupted quickly. It wasn't something she was usually any good at, talking over people, and she felt bad for doing it, but she had to get this out now that she had started, "I can't say his name.  _That's_ how out of reality he is. It can shatter just mentioning him. We're pushing it, now. I can only talk about this because of the contract. I can't not help him...you know how I am, I..." she dropped her hand, both of them clenching in her lap, "I can feel his pain. Every second is spent in  _nothing_. Feeling  _absolutely nothing_. Less than nothing. Except less isn't even a concept, and neither is nothing, or seconds, or even time. And it's...maddening."

She could feel Gaster's shock in her mind that she understood him so thoroughly. Of course she did.

"And there's something he cares about, here. Deeply. He didn't tell me that part, but...he's kinda in my head. Poor guy is so nervous right now, his thoughts are starting to flood over. I'm trying not to pry, but sharing a body doesn't really lend itself to privacy." She blushed, but it didn't feel like it was coming entirely from her, and she could feel her pupils blown wide for a moment, which was quite odd to be aware of, "I'm not used to it yet. But uh...something tells me he's gonna be in my head for a _really_ long time."

Kathy stared, an eyebrow arched, "So you have a weird...nothing guy floating in your head? Eavesdropping on everything you say? Does he know how creepy that is? Does he know anything else about this place?"

 _**I know everything about every possible iteration of every possible world. It's all a very interesting topic of conversation, however if your friend truly wishes to ask me questions, I would prefer she ask me directly. I can hear** _ **her. _I can take over and I can allow you to wait as I currently am so that you may observe the conversation._**

Andra paused, head tilted slightly, "It's rude to talk about people who are listening," she replied, "He says he's willing to speak with you directly. I'll still be moderating the conversation, but he can use my body to communicate, and get things done. You were going to meet him sooner or later, so it might as well be now, while things are...calmer."

_I swear by our contract, if you try that shit you did with me on her, I will make this entire thing as unpleasant as possible._

She could feel a mix of indignation and self conscious embarrassment.

"Sooo....he's gonna possess you?" Kathy asked, not sure if that was cool, or scary. Maybe both?

Andra grabbed her glasses from the bedside table, starting to get a headache, "That's one way of putting it. According to the contract I signed, my body and soul are just as much his as mine until he regains his own. But sure. We can say he's just...possessive," she grinned widely, suppressing a snort at her own joke.

The other woman groaned, practically smacking herself in her forehead in an attempt to cover her mixed amusement and embarrassment at the bad joke, "Andra! I thought we were being serious."

She giggled, "Ah, that's no fun. You'll get plenty of that with uh...man, what can I call you, dude?"

He contemplated before answering,  _ **G would be acceptable.**_

Hm. G. Made sense. It was the one part of his name that wasn't actually part of his name--just a nickname, given by someone he couldn't recall anymore.

"G. We're calling him G. Don't judge. Um...so...did you wanna talk to him, or what?"

Kathy dropped her hand, watching the other for a moment, before slowly nodding, "Okay. If I'm gonna meet him, let's meet him. You're not gonna have some sort of magical girl transformation, right?"

Andra snorted, bursting into laughter as one hand moved up to naturally hold her too-loose frames in place, "Well if I do, promise to show me that recording, yeah?" She managed through giggles, holding her stomach with her other arm. She had needed to laugh, and it showed. But it was as clear an indicator as any that there was much more she wasn't saying.

When she had calmed, she took a slow breath, smiling lightly, and giving a half nod, "Alright, G, how do we do this?" She asked herself quietly, closing her eyes.

_**Just relax. I can't tell you how this is going to feel...unfortunately I'm no longer well versed in such things. But I'll do my best to make this easy on you.** _

Her mind shattered.

* * *

 

_It was...is...will...had been... **tense unknown**...to describe...his/her...their...its... **pronoun unknown** feelings....impossible.... Child. Broken child. Hateful child. Loved.  **Feared.** A smile, and flowers. Golden Yellow  **#FFDF00. Dead child.** A deal. Another deal. Woman. Dark hair. Fair skin. Friend. The woman. She would make the deal. She would...no._

_Love. Death. Anguish. Pain. But these words meant nothing._

_What was nothing?_

* * *

Gaster felt clarity for the first time in...time. He took a slow breath, marvelling for a moment at the feeling of air in lungs, electrical impulses across synapses, the feeling of magic, and bone, even if it were not his own. True, it was different. New. But by the multiverse, it was  _amazing_ to feel again. He flexed his borrowed fingers, rolled his body's shoulders and neck. Yes, she had her share of aches and pains--she had many a health concern for one so young, but that was due to being magical in origin, and raised in a marked absence of it, at least in part. But that would improve in time, here, and with their contract, and the events slated to happen this timeline, she would have plenty of time and opportunity to get better.

He turned to look to the somewhat astonished young woman sitting nearby, holding a mobile phone with the camera running. He glanced down at himself, noting a slight swirl of purple magic around him, before looking back up, **"Apologies for my rudeness, I must admit, it takes some time for me to adjust to being...well... _being._ " **He seemed rather surprised by the feminine voice that came up when he spoke, though he had gotten quite well acquainted with it in Andra's dream. He blushed, though when he did, a purplish tinge seemed to tint the pale skin along with the natural pink,  **"I am Ga--"** he tensed as if he could feel the world splitting, " **G. It is very good to properly meet you, Kathy."**

The brunette finally stopped the recording, when the subtle appearance changes seemed to settle, setting her phone down, and looking at her...uh...him? directly, "I guess it's...nice to meet you?" The face her friend normally wore was still recognisable, but seemed to have aged by a few years. More tired, and...like it had seen true horror, and become _jaded_ to it. There were dark circles under the eyes, which had gone from a gold yellow to a deep orange, with purplish tinges around the edges of the wide-blown pupils. The barest shadows of scars that Andra didn't have traced above the right eye and below the left, but they were only visible in the fading magic light from the transformation, which had been faint to start. One final change was that her colours seemed a little...dulled. Her hair was still dyed vibrantly, an artificial change, but everything natural on her looked like it had been run through a filter, leaving her only a shade off white, deathly pale, and almost sick looking.

Kathy had to tear her eyes away from the haunting ones in her friend's face, "Um...anyway, since we're here to talk, I guess we should talk," she said rapidly, "Let's start with this--is she alright? What did you do to her? With this contract thing? How does this even work? And why did you bring us here?" Maybe she had had one too many slices of pie...

He gave a laugh at her rapid-fire questions that sounded harsh coming from Andra's throat,  **"No harm will come to her. As for what I have done to your friend regarding the contract, to put it simply, I have unlocked the magical abilities she already had, in addition to granting her some of my own. In exchange, she allows me to use her body and soul to keep myself tethered in this timeline, so that I might have access to the necessary materials to bring myself back. I brought her to the Underground specifically, because my old lab is located here. Albeit, a little farther along on your journey. Suffice it to say, you two have a long way to go. I'll be honest, there are two ways this timeline could play out ideally from your starting point, and one of them had you sleep through her leaving this morning. But I'm pleased she got this one, even if it's going to be a bit more...problematic."** His expression was difficult to read. He didn't seem to have much practice with flesh-based expression, or any at all, for that matter.

"Problematic how? What's going to happen? What sort of timelines?"

He looked away, bringing a hand up to brush the rainbow strands away in annoyance,  **"I ah...shouldn't have said that. Please, don't let this temper your decisions in the coming journey,"** he replied, managing to force a smile, though it came out somewhat creepy, and just...didn't look like it belonged there.

She shuddered, "Please stop smiling. Not to be rude or anything. I mean...I'm sorry. I wouldn't normally say anything, but...please...."

 **"No apology necessary. I am a little out of practise with emotion. It has been...far too long."**  He sighed, face returned to a neutral expression.

Kathy reached over, patting his shoulder awkwardly, "Well...depending on how long this takes...I'm sure you'll get some practise. Can't get too overworked, right?"

He gave an appreciative nod, a little tense under the young woman's hand, but only because he could see the mischievous grin spreading across the other's face.

"So...what was Andra not telling me about that dream of hers? You can see inside her head right?"

Gaster's eyes widened, a more natural look of shock coming over his borrowed features as a fierce blush crossed unnaturally pale skin,  **"I don't believe that is wise."**

"Hm? Ooh, you're acting like it's personal," she replied teasingly.

He rose his unscarred eyebrow,  **"I don't understand your intent...."** He replied, moving to cross his arms, pausing a moment when his borrowed body's breasts got in the way. He sighed, shifting uncomfortably.

"I know she had a _fun_ kind of dream, and she immediately started talking about you when I tried to ask her about it, so spill. What were you two up to? I reserve the right to grill any guy she brings home, and inside her head is as home as it gets."

He opened his mouth to speak, staring for a moment, jaw a little slack, before abruptly snapping it shut, adjusting glasses,  **"What we did was...of no..."** well not no importance,  **"No consequence. It was a misunderstanding. I appreciate that you care for your friend, but...what she and I did was...never supposed to happen, and _will not_ happen again. I ask, respectfully, that you not press this matter any further."**

"Fine. Just know, that if she gets hurt because of this contract stuff, or anything else you do two do, I'll down a bag of candy and go sugar rush on your ass," she gave him a hard look, pausing a moment, before smiling lightly, "Anyway, does she have anything to say about our conversation?"

He paused, tilting his head, as if trying to listen,  _ **Andra?**_

_Voice. Man. **Man Who Speaks in Hands.** Gaster. Void. Scattered. Switched._

Gaster flinched noticeably, tensing and grinding his teeth slightly.

"Um...G, what happened?"

**"Something...unforeseen. Your friend may be a little...stressed when she comes back to herself. Please prepare yourself."**

Before she could answer, he had pulled away without any further warning, leaving her body empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, um...wow!! Five chapters so far. Ohmygosh. I know we masterminds have been kinda quiet so far. Well, more like completely quiet. I guess you might want to know something about us? Tell ya what! We have a Tumblr! http://fallingforadeal.tumblr.com/  
>  I'm Andra...um...d-don't judge me, I just wrote what all happened, okay?! I don't control it. Heh. 0///~ If there's anything ya'll wanna know about me, ask away!  
> Have questions for our darling artist/other protagonist, Kathy? Don't ask where the art is, it's coming soon, I'm just writing faster than she can draw.  
> Apart from that, do you have any comments on the story? Questions for the characters introduced so far? Criticisms? Anything? Please, let's hear it! We would love your feedback! Anything you want to see? Let us know! We can't make any guarantees it'll happen, but we can make an honest try. Hope you continue to enjoy our work!


	6. Awake and Asleep

The wait was unbearable.

Kathy paced, switching the monster candy from one side of her mouth to the other as it slowly dissolved on her tongue. Andra still hadn't woken up. It was...well, probably late. As cozy as this little house was, the lack of windows was a little unnerving. Not that it would do any good, being underground. Seemed she would have to get used to it.

It was nearly three hours before an almost imperceptible movement caught her eyes. Her friend had opened her eyes, still paler than usual, though a few of her freckles had returned, eyes heavily lidded. She didn't move or speak otherwise. Simply opened her eyes.

"Andra, hey, are you alright? What happened there?" Kathy sat on the edge of the bed.

There was no response. She continued to stare into the space between the ceiling and her eyes, her face expressionless.

The other woman flinched, brushing her own hair out of her face and sighing heavily, "I hate to go wake Tori...." She muttered, biting her lip, "You don't move." She stood, moving toward the door.

She knocked lightly on Toriel's door, a little nervous.

The goat woman answered it after almost a minute, wearing a nightgown in a similar colour to her usual robes, "Are you alright dear? Could you not sleep?"

"I uh...haven't had a chance yet. I've been with Andra...something happened. Not with her injuries. She's healed, actually, but...I probably shouldn't be talking about this until I know the whole story, but..."

"I understand that there are some details in your arrival here that I may not be meant to know. I am not as naive as some would believe, dear. I will take a look at her."

She gave a sigh of relief, "Thank you."

"Do not worry about it," she replied, moving to the room at the end of the hall with the girl.

When they arrived in the room, Andra hadn't moved. The only change that occurred was when Toriel moved within her field of vision. She didn't look directly at her, but she started muttering lowly under her breath.

"Faun, Pan, satyr, Silenus...no...Daksha, Lord Brahma, son...beheaded...no.... Incorrect line... Reset." Her voice faded to incomprehensibility once more as the eldest female straightened a little, frowning, "I have never seen anything like this. Was she like this the entire time you have been here?"

"No, not at all! Um...it was just...something happened," she replied.

"That 'something' you cannot share. I see," she replied, "I'll look her over with my magic."

Toriel sent out a pure white magic from her hands, different from both the green healing magic, and the fire magic she normally used. It was a more potent variety of power that any monster was capable of, but it could only be done in short bursts by most. The goat woman was a boss monster, but it was still an effort.

The pale magic spread over the young woman's body, stopping just outside the same resisting force she had met earlier. The dark purple, all too familiar magic that  _should not have been there_ glowed gently in resistance, before slowly brightening...and absorbing the white energy from the motherly goat.

A bright glow came to Andra's eyes, and she gasped continuing to pull magic from the other female, until it was clear Toriel was feeling a strain. She pulled back her magic with an audible crackle, taking a long step back to put distance between herself and the girl. She was short of breath, and shaking a little, "At least she...took my help this time..." She muttered quietly, managing a small smile.

Kathy was torn between going to Toriel's side, or Andra's.

As the redhead settled back on the bed, her head tilted to the side now, eyes swimming with a golden glow, silvery magic crawling just under her skin, making her pale skin even whiter in some places as it shifted, attempting to heal her by giving her the power to do so herself.

The darker haired woman moved toward Toriel, putting a hand on her arm, "Are you okay? What did you do?"

The goat woman smiled, giving her a weak laugh, "No need to worry for me. Since she has magic, I donated some of my own to allow her to recover. Her power should put the boost to use, and have her back with us within a day or so."

* * *

It took longer than a day. Four days later, Andra finally came back to herself, alone in the room, with no knowledge of what had happened. Only that there was some time missing. And there was something...new. She sat up slowly, looking around and leaning heavily on one arm. Her body felt heavier than uranium, but she forced herself to move. She looked around for her glasses, finding them on the bedside table. She frowned lightly, cleaning them off and shoving them on.

_Gaster? How long was I out? What happened?_

She could feel surprise from the man sharing her soul.

**_You're awake. I...was afraid I had lost you._ **

_Lost me?  Hey, wait...I thought I was supposed to be...wherever you are, when I'm asleep?_

He gave a mentally audible sigh, and she could imagine him running one of his hands over his head, though wasn't sure why the mental image was so clear,  ** _You weren't exactly asleep, Andra...I had to wipe your memory. I made a miscalcu--ah...no, that isn't right. I apologise. This is my fault. I made a horrible mistake, and I should not have left you awake, alone, in the Void. I know from experience how that can effect people. You were scattered for about four days...I cannot say how long that was from your perspective, though._**

She flinched,  _Scattered?_

 ** _Being conscious, your magic and awareness naturally tried to spread out in its new environment when we traded places. You very nearly got lost among the Void as I am. With your lack of_ experience...**  He trailed off.

"I wouldn't've been able to get back," she whispered aloud.

_**That is the gist of it. I allowed Her Majesty to share some of her magic in order to strengthen yours, in hopes it might summon what was scattered of you back.** _

_Her Majesty?_

Her mind was silent for a moment, almost unnaturally so. She was about to ask again when he finally answered,  ** _I ah...forgot that she was in hiding at this point in the timeline. Queen Toriel. She and King Asgore had some disagreements, shortly before my accident. We were good friends, once._**

"Toriel is the  _queen_ down here? Why is she wasting time helping me? What the hell?"

 Was he...was he laughing at her?

"Stop laughing, you dick," she muttered, pausing and blushing, before adding silently, and a little impulsively,  _Do you even have a dick? I mean you only used your...hands before, and...._

The mental laughter abruptly stopped, and she felt immediate heat come across her skin. Why had she asked that? Why had she even  _thought_ that? Didn't she normally have more control over her brain?

 ** _As flattered as I am in your interest in my physiology, I believe there are more pressing matters._** The voice in her mind sounded almost strained.

She abruptly paled. Shit. She'd been out for four days. Four days without pills, and the half life of them was...well, as much as liked to pretend, she was no chemist. But she knew that she was probably withdrawing from them, hard. She did her best not to go over the list of side effects, not wanting to psych herself out worse.

The redhead took a slow breath, brushing her fingers through her hair, a little surprised to find that the blood had been wiped clean while she slept. It was probably best to wait until she knew the time and got some food in her to take them. She had to be rational. As much as she could be anyway.

Just...just  _breathe._

Andra pulled on a pair of sweat pants from her bag, walking toward the door and padding silently out into the living room. She could hear voices from the kitchen, and she spared herself an anxious grin, feeling like an intruder, though she had felt welcome not long before. It was almost oppressive. She wanted to run. She suppressed the urge and walked into the room the other two were in.

Before anyone could speak, there was a hug thrown around her somewhere in the vicinity of her chest, almost knocking the breath out of her, "Andra, you're finally awake!" The worry in Kathy's voice was clear, even as it seemed to run out of her.

She gave a half laugh, hugging the other woman back, "Yeah...guess I am.... Sorry about the inconvenience...."

 _"_ _Inconvenience_ _?"_ Kathy demanded, looking up at her, "You are not an inconvenience! We were worried about you!"

She didn't deserve their worry. She had to make it up to them, "Well, I'm fine now. Starved though." Not really. But she would eat anyway. She was shaky.

Toriel moved over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She was hardly aware of Kathy releasing her from the hug, or being guided over to the table. She felt crowded, but the other two soon backed off. They were talking to her. She was responding, but it didn't feel like her speaking.

Before she knew it, she was back in her borrowed room, taking her meds, and grabbing a change of clothes.

Then bathing.

Practising magic.

Packing her things.

The rest of the morning and early afternoon went about as mechanically. She didn't remember suggesting that they should move on, but she had. Gaster had faded back in her mind, allowing her mental privacy, now that he was certain that she wasn't going to end herself. Her earlier comments probably hadn't encouraged him to stay. 

They stood in front of a heavy basement doorway, Toriel in front of them with a bag of food in one hand, and a golden flower in the other.

"Now don't forget, it's going to be cold out there. If you have anything warm to wear, please do. Andra, dear, do you have that fire spell I taught you earlier today, at least?"

"Um..." She held up both hands, conjuring a small ball of fire between both hands, her brow furrowed in concentration as she bit her lip, the light reflecting off of her glasses, the heat less intense, but radiating more. The flame couldn't do any damage to humans or monsters, but it was excellent for keeping warm in the cold, at least according to Tori.

The goat woman smiled. The girl really was a natural. She had put the white magic to use so readily, "Very good. Now save your energy. You're going to need it."

Andra nodded, pulling her hands apart as the flame seemed to retreat back into her fingertips. She was already wearing her heavy, velvet-lined jacket, glad to have the excuse of cold (weather?) on the other side of the door to wear the comfort item. It was partially unzipped to show a flash of bright pink underneath, clashing with the deep blue, but certainly attention-grabbing.

Kathy was wearing a much lighter (but easier to move in) sweater, also from Andra's bag, clearly not prepared for the cold in the least, "Anything else we should know?"

Toriel sighed, "Not everyone is going to be as friendly as I am. I'm sure you have already figured that out, but...please be careful--oh, Andra, Kathy showed me your cell-phones. I got them set up on the Undernet for you, as well getting them service here. You will not be able to call the surface...the barrier prevents it, but I hope that it helps. Please do not hesitate to call me." Admittedly, she'd had to phone in some help for that, but the girls didn't need to know that.

The shorter of the two gave a wide grin, while Andra finally managed a genuine smile.

"Thanks, Tori."

"Thank you, Toriel."

There were hugs. They double checked that the numbers were correct in each-other's phones, and promised to call and check in when they reached the nearby town. The Underground was a big place. Andra attached the golden flower the motherly woman had given her to her jacket, for now. She would find a better place for it when they found a place to stay. It was resilient. It would be fine in the cold.

When they finally said their goodbyes, they left like old friends, the larger female holding open the door for them as they stepped out into a somewhat chilled hall.

When it shut behind them, though, it felt somehow final. They wouldn't be back for awhile.

The two walked down the hall, a feeling of dread radiating from ahead of them, making at least the redhead want to turn and run. She took her anxiety pills out of her pocket, downing two. An action that didn't go unnoticed by Kathy.

Before she could ask, they were through the doorway, and the source of her anxiety was revealed.

"Howdy, guys. Long time no see. The last human was a lot more punctual."


	7. Resets and Spaghetti

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally meet a certain pair of skeleton twins, and their brother. But first, to deal with the tsundere flower.

"I mean,  **seriously** , guys, four days? I know I'm a flower, but that's so  **boring.** What in the hell could you have possibly been doing for four days? Well...except you." He gave Andra a deadpan look, before returning his cruel smile to Kathy, "Seriously, you should've left Crazy behind. She's only gonna slow you down here. I mean really. Dragging  **two** mentally damaged, barely together souls along behind you? Anyway. You know what she's trying to do right? It could destroy reality as we know it. And what fun would that be?"

"Shut up," Kathy said, shaking her head as if bored, though part of her was terrified the flower would try to kill them again.

"How could what I'm doing destroy reality? I'm trying to  _fix_ reality," Andra replied, hands jammed into her pockets, eyes narrowed as her glasses slid slightly down her nose.

"Same way you can screw up any repair job when you're an  **idiot** Crazy. One. Little. Mistake. And reality will come crashing down around us. Then the entire multiverse will be destroyed, and it'll be your fault. But you can bet, you'll get to be with your **handsy friend**. Maybe that's your goal, huh? And I thought **I** had problems!" He gave a psychotic laugh, the sound echoing in the space for a few seconds, even after the flower disappeared into the ground.

The darker haired of the two stared at the dimly lit area where the flower had been, before looking at Andra, taking a slow breath, "Are you alright?" She asked.

She was flushed, and anxious, and pissed off, but a small part of her agreed with that damn bastard. She forced a smile, "Ha. Damaged. Me? He was joking, right?" Her smile faded, and she looked away, "Let's just keep going. I'm getting a headache." She moved on ahead without waiting for her friend to answer, the back of her head aching as the spot where Flowey had been passed out of her vision. She walked faster, to the door beyond, her friend trailing along behind her.

They stepped out into the snow, with an icy breeze rushing in to replace the comparatively warmer air where they were, blowing their hair back for a moment, before the air settled into a gentle snowfall. The cave ceiling was too high to see, actually obscured by clouds. It was almost like being outside, if not for the absence of any moon or sun, though several luminescent stones twinkled through the clouds. Soft flakes of snow fell from high above, making it easy to forget that they were under ground. Huge coniferous trees towered around them, taller than they could measure, but not coming anywhere near the ceiling.

Kathy looked around shivering lightly and spotting the camera at the same time as Andra, "I-is that a camera?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Weird."

"Maybe some sort of security system or something?"

"I guess."

The redhead nodded, "Well...let's go. I've got a weird feeling about this place. I just wanna get to town."

The darker haired woman nodded in agreement, rubbing her arms with cold as they walked.

They walked in silence, pausing at a branch in the walkway. Andra kicked it aside. This may be the road less travelled, but someone might still trip over it. Like her. If she had to run back the other way. They kept walking. 

She felt sudden, immense power ahead of them, freezing for a moment as a figure appeared ahead of them, snow crunching underneath fuzzy slippers. The figure was around the same height as Kathy wearing a red turtleneck, underneath a black hoodie. The hood was white, pulled up, leaving his face in shadow, apart from glowing white light where his eyes should be, and a wide grin. His hands were tucked into his pockets, and he stopped, standing a few feet in front of them.

As far as Andra's anxiety was concerned, he was all intimidation. She took a step back. Then another. She wasn't pissed off the way she was with Flowey. She was just...she...she couldn't do this yet. She had to go back, "I...I'm sorry...Kathy...I'm sorry, I c-can't...not yet..." she muttered, stepping back a few steps, before turning around to run the other way. She didn't get more than two or three good bounds before she hit something...or rather someone solid, power flooding her senses again.

"Going somewhere?" The deep voice would have made her freeze even if he hadn't already put her to a stop simply by standing in her way.

She jerked back, but he caught her before she could fall into the ice and snow, her mind racing with more images than she could process. Her awareness was stolen from her for a moment, and the next time she could think, she was leaning heavily on the male who had caught her, her heart pounding in her chest, mouth dry, hands gripped tightly on his upper...arms. She finally looked up at his face, her eyes widening a little, "Holy crap, you're a skeleton." It seemed like the safest thing she could say in that moment. Not that she had put any thought into it.

His grin widened. How did he do that? "Astute observation," he teased, "Y'know, ya kinda freaked out there. Glad I don't have to deal with that. Nothing gets under my skin," he gave her a wink. 

She flushed with embarrassment, but cracked a smile, giving a nervous giggle, and slowly letting go of his arms. She stumbled a little, and he caught her again, "S-sorry," she apologised quickly, "I'm not normally like this, I've just uh...anxiety...and...I don't normally talk about it...I really don't have big problems. Or I didn't. If I did at least I'd be interesting. I'm sorry."

"Whoa. Hey. Stop apologisin'," he gave her arm a gentle squeeze, "The name is Sans."

She met the gently glowing lights that seemed to float in the skeleton's eye sockets, staring openly. Her heart seemed to jump into her throat.

 The other skeleton tilted his head slightly, before pulling back his hood, "What's her problem?"

Kathy stared at him in disbelief for a moment, " _'What's her problem?_ '" She asked him, resisting the urge to throw something at him, "You scared her near to death, coming up all spooky and crap! What's  _your_ problem?" She snapped.

Andra almost jumped when her friend placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's just me! Are you okay?"

She tore her eyes away from the eyelights of the skeleton who was still holding her steady, "I-I'm fine. I didn't mean to freak out there." She took a breath, stepping back, "Are you aware that you and your...brother?" she asked slowly, "Are like...ridiculously powerful? Like...holy shit."

"Are you always this eloquent?"

"Oh, only when I've slept for four days straight," she replied, waving a hand dismissively.

He rose a brow bone, "You serious?"

"I think she has our record beat."

"Yeah...Paps'd never let us sleep that long."

"Paps?" Kathy interjected. These two were...interesting. 

"Yeah," the shorter of the two answered.

"Our younger bro," the taller added.

"He's the coolest," the shorter one finished.

Apart from height, the two were nearly identical. While the shorter one wore a pull-over hoodie, the taller one had a zip-up, blue hoodie over the top of a black t-shirt.

"Another brother?" Andra asked slowly, "I'm assuming he's about as powerful as you guys." She sighed, rubbing the side of her head, "This is gonna take some getting some used to..."

The taller skeleton smirked, "Planning on sticking around?" He asked.

She blushed, "I have a feeling," she muttered, turning to move past the shorter skeleton and keep walking. Her pills were finally starting to kick in.

"Guess I'll see ya up ahead," he called after her, before walking the way he'd come.

Before Kathy could follow, the shorter of the skeletons caught her hand, "Hey, uh...I had a favour to ask ya. If you don't mind?"

She blinked slowly, pausing a moment, and glancing the way Andra had gone, before looking back at the monster holding her hand. The ring her boyfriend had given her caught the twinkling light from the sparkling stones above them, "Uh...sure, I guess? What sort of favour?"

"You're human, right?" He asked, releasing her hand and shoving his skeletal ones into his pockets.

She shivered lightly, rubbing her arms lightly. The light jacket Andra had given her was doing little against the cold, "Um...yes..."

"That's great. See, my twin an' I are s'posed to be hunting humans," he replied, giving her an easy grin.

She stepped back from him, "Wh-what? But wait--Andra rushed on ahead! Is she gonna be alright?"

He chuckled, "You're more worried for your friend than yourself? That's kinda cute."

She shivered a little more violently as an icy wind blew past them. The cave was large enough for its own ecosystem, apparently, "Sh-shut up."

"Anyway, that favour--we ain't really into the human hunting thing. I mean...if we were, we'd already have your soul, y'know? But our brother, Paps. Man, he is a human hunting fanatic. He's obsessed. But he's harmless. You'd really be makin' his day if you just played along."

It was hard to think past the cold. She zipped the sweater up a little more, but it was still too thin to do much on its own, "I um...I guess I can do that. If he's really harmless like you said."

"Yeah. I mean, if he wanted to, he could prob'ly keep up with me, but he'd never try," he looked her over, his eyelights taking their time over certain features before he removed his hoodie, "Here. To make it up to ya, you can borrow this."

She hesitated, "Oh...th-that's okay. It's not too long to the town right?"

"Take it. Paps'll slow ya down a bit."

She bit her lip, reaching out to take it, pausing as she gripped it, "Are you sure? Um...aren't you cold?"

"Me? Nah. I'm a skeleton. The cold goes right through me. Name is Sans by the way." He winked, letting go of the hoodie once she had a hold of it.

She gave a begrudging laugh, putting a hand to her face, a little overwhelmed at his kindness, "Wow...that was as bad as Andra after coffee." She replied, moving to pull the sweater on. When she pulled it over her head, she kept her eyes closed a moment, enjoying the warmth, before opening them to find that she was alone.

Kathy sighed heavily, a little surprised she hadn't heard him leave, before turning to go off the way Andra had gone, pulling the borrowed hood up to block the wind. She followed the footprints, before they got lost in the fresh snowfall, and she took another moment to look around, taking some time to explore a bit as she looked for her friend. How far had the other woman managed to go?

There were a few encounters, here and there. Mostly kids and teens goofing off in the snow. It was kinda cute. She played along with them, joining in snowball fights, even when some of them got a little too excited with magic attacks not quite in their control. Yeah, it hurt a bit, but they didn't actually  _mean_ any harm.

She laughed lightly, giving the kids a wave as she practically skipped away. Maybe this place wouldn't be so bad.

Kathy paused coming up to a well built station guard station. She'd seen a few so far, but hadn't stopped to inspect any, "No moving?" She muttered under her breath.

She shrugged it off, trudging through the snow to pass the station, freezing when a knife whizzed past her ear, splintering part of a tree right next to her. She spun to face the source of the flying knife, eyes wide, "Holy shit! What the hell is wrong with you?"

The dog monster bared his teeth, another knife spinning into one of his paw-like hands, forcibly drawing her soul from her, "I saw you there. Big mistake. You're a human aren't you?" His knife glowed blue, and he threw it directly at her.

She screamed, dodging and throwing herself to the ground, knocking the breath out of her. She coughed as her soul dragged behind her, and she skid across the packed snow and ice, several more knives flying toward her.

Time seemed to slow, but she moved even slower, rolling onto her back just in time to see them pierce her stomach and chest, blood blooming across her borrowed clothing, dyeing the black sweater a darker shade. Her soul began to fall from where it floated in the air, back toward her chest, responding to her weakened state by trying to move closer to her, to give her strength.

The monster reacted on pure instinct, flinging another magic-infused knife at the swirling emerald soul, hitting it directly.

Kathy's eyes widened, her body and mind contorting with agony as her soul shattered, time tearing itself apart.

It twisted. Pulled. Split into a hundred-thousand pieces...and then she was on her feet again.

Her hands shook as they clenched around the black sweater being handed to her. Tears stung her eyes, and she collapsed to her knees in sudden exhaustion, her grip releasing the sweater.

The skeleton was left holding it a little awkwardly, standing in front of her as he ran one hand over his skull, "Hey uh...look, calm down. That was your first one, wasn't it?"

She wiped her eyes, shivering a little in the cold, regretting her moment of weakness. Now her jeans were wet and cold, "First?" She paled a little more.

He held the sweater out to her again, and she hesitantly took it, pulling it on. She was glad to see he was still there when she got it on.

He breathed a sigh of relief, though she wasn't sure how he managed that without lungs.

"That was called a reset. You got yourself killed," he told her, not looking at her as he offered a hand to help her up, "And you reset to the last moment that your soul was filled completely with your defining trait." He gave her a sideways glance as she took his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet, "I took you for the kindness type." Of course, he could see her soul just looking at her. It was part of being one half of the judge. But she didn't need to know that.

She was still more than a little freaked out, and she wiped her eyes on the sleeve of his sweater, holding onto him for support, still shaking a bit, "Wh-what about everyone else? Or that dog guy? He...what if he tries to kill me again? What if I die again? He's going to be expecting me this time...I...I c-can't....I can't..." She was starting to hyperventilate.

The skeleton almost frowned. How did his twin find this so easy? Had he inherited all the charm when their souls split or something? He was no good at this comforting stuff. He rested a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, "Hey...come on, buddy, calm down. Think about it. We're both back here, and ya just had to put the sweater back on. Everyone else reset too," he told her.

She looked up, "I...reset everyone? But...but they'll still remember, won't they? How does it make any difference? And why would he kill me if I'm just gonna come back?"

"Only humans with a pure trait soul can save and reset," he told her, "That's one colour. Most don't remember resets. Ya...uh...got lucky with me, alright? Doggo ain't gonna remember a thing. Just...remember...don't move for blue attacks."

She blinked slowly, frowning, "Wh-what?"

"There are a lot of different kind of attacks. And...well, human souls are really valuable. If you see a blue attack, just...stop. Think of...uh...blue stop signs."

"Blue stop signs?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." 

She turned to go again, allowing the kids to cheer her up a bit, though not quite as into the snowball fight as she had been the first time around. She dodged more this time, managing not to get hit by any of the kids' accidental magic attacks before moving on.

Kathy took Sans' advice to heart when she reached the dog monster again, holding completely still whenever he attacked, waiting for him to be distracted to move. It was like...blue light green light? Well, that worked. Honestly, he was kind of cute when he wasn't flinging knives at her. She bit her lip, hesitating as she passed near him, waiting for him to be distracted before reaching out to pet him.

"Wh-what was that?" Doggo exclaimed, looking around wildly.

She froze for another blue attack, before scratching him behind the ears, earning another shocked response from the guard dog. This went on for a few more minutes before he seemed to calm a bit, and she got bored of teasing him, allowing her soul to absorb back into herself, surprised it did so so easily, before she moved on. The dog monster had moved back into his post, looking a bit...overloaded. But not in a bad way. Maybe? 

The brunette moved on, a little calmer than she had been, now that she was sure he hadn't remembered her. 

She didn't go far before she saw the skeleton twins walking with Andra from the path to her left, chatting about...something?

"Well, I was wondering why he was repeating himself. I mean, a talking snowman is weird enough," she replied. Admittedly, Gaster had perked up at the mention of resets, explaining them more thoroughly than she had been prepared for. So much for privacy in her own head. Ah well. It was getting a little lonely anyway. It made sense. But it hadn't helped her worry.

"Yeah, well, she's fine now, I bet. Haven't reset yet, right?" 

Kathy cleared her throat, surprising precisely none of them, as they looked up.

Andra slid across an icy patch, almost falling on her ass, before the taller of the twins' caught her arm, holding her steady. She giggled, a little giddy for the moment as she clung to him.

"You just keep fallin' for me left and right, don't'cha?" He teased.

She blushed, pushing him away across the ice, "Shut up. I can handle this. And what's with you, anyway? Can't keep your hands off me?" She didn't wait for an answer, sliding awkwardly toward her friend, until she found better footing, "Hey, I heard what happened. You okay?" She asked, a little quieter, while the twins chatted a little more quietly across the frozen pond.

The redhead flexed her hand lightly. She had gotten a small flash of what was to come. While the timeline was pretty new, that didn't mean that they didn't know their brother was coming a mile away.

The darker haired woman laughed nervously, "Well, I kinda died, so...that was pretty messed up," she replied, rubbing her stomach absently where the knife had pierced it, "I'd rather not relive the whole thing...er...again if it's all the same?"

The redhead held up a hand, "Don't worry about it. I get it. And hey, you actually got here a little quicker than it reset last time. In fact, Papyrus should be here any second now."

"Papyr--o-oh! The twins' brother? The one who--? Did the taller one ask you to help too?"

She laughed, "Well, not really. I guess they just want your help? I'm not sure why," she didn't have a chance to go into more detail before a loud, much taller skeleton walked into the area, pausing across the iced over pond from them, his voice carrying.

"Comic! Serif! What are you doing so far from your stations?" Papyrus demanded, a little dramatically. Between his rather excellent posture, impressive height, unusual energy, and somewhat flamboyant clothing tastes, it would have been hard to believe they were related if they weren't all skeletons. And all really strong. And if they hadn't outright said so.

Andra decided to mess with him, "Oh, hi, you must be Papyrus!" She called across the ice, grabbing her friend's hand and forcibly leading her around the pond, "My name is Andra. Andra Smith. See, this human has expressed interest in being captured by you, and testing out some of your puzzles. I've come to witness this moment of greatness for myself."

The red-scarfed monster dwarfed them all. Even Andra only came up to his chin, and her boots added a good couple inches. He looked momentarily speechless.

Kathy was about to say something before the tall skeleton struck a pose, " _Nyeh~heh~heh~!_ Of course I am famous on the surface! It is no wonder you have come such a long way to see me! I am, after all, the Great Papyrus! And you!" He pointed at Kathy dramatically, "You are the human who wishes to sample my puzzles? You must have equally great taste!"

She stared, glancing at the twins--Serif and...Comic?--who were looking amused, before looking back to Papyrus, "U-um...yeah. I love puzzles!" She smiled. His enthusiasm  _was_ pretty contagious.

His face lit up, "Excellent! I will go ahead to prepare! I will see you there, human!  _Nyeh~heh~heh~!"_ He turned to walk away.

Comic, the taller of the twins, smirked, "Nice one there Andra. He really liked that one. How'd you think that up?"

She flushed, shrugging, "I thought it'd be interesting," she replied.

Serif chuckled, looking over at Kathy, "Thanks for playin' along."

"Huh? Oh! No problem! I really do love puzzles, and I said I would, anyway," she grinned.

"I'm holdin' ya to that."

* * *

By the time they got through the puzzles (and past the entirety of the K-9 unit), the two were exhausted. Yeah, it'd been fun, but that sort of energy was nearly impossible to keep up with. Their only break had been when Andra had used her learned fired magic to reheat a plate of spaghetti that Papyrus had left as a trap. She and Kathy had shared it, since both had been pretty hungry. It hadn't been anything amazing, but it wasn't bad.

The small town they came to seemed pretty cozy, a large, welcoming sign marking the entrance.

Andra smiled, hands tucked into her pockets as they walked, "Wow. This place is pretty."

"It's really nice," Kathy replied, doing a slow turn as she looked around, "So...we're finally here." She laughed nervously.

"Yeah...just how much money did those monsters drop on the way here, anyway?"

"I don't even know. I tried giving it back a few times, but they seemed happy to let me keep it," she shrugged, going into the pockets of her borrowed hoodie and jingling them happily, "Why don't we get set up in the hotel, then we'll figure out what to do from there?"

"Sounds good to me."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to write Comic and Serif in lowercase, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I've tried it before on another fic, and it messed with my head. Trust me. It's hard enough doing bold and italics randomly mixed for different characters in the same scene. ^^;;  
> Anyway, excuses aside, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I hope ya'll liked it. Comment and ask us questions if you like! Also, don't forget to check our tumblr! fallingforadeal.tumblr.com


	8. Dandy Candy and Quicker Liquor

Kathy changed quickly into a set of clean and dry clothing once they were in the hotel, the two women dropping off their items, before splitting up the money evenly and heading out for something to eat. It wasn't going to last them too long, but the bunny-woman at the front counter had assured them that the 80 they had paid was a one time fee. So they had a place to stay, at the very least. Why not splurge a little?

They walked around the town, and the brunette was relieved to see that no one was attacking here. They talked a bit as they walked, but soon enough, Andra fell quiet, hands shoved into her pockets. She wanted to enjoy this place, but it was difficult. She was getting drained from social interaction, and the pill adjustment was taking its toll, still.

Kathy munched on candy as they walked, still talking excitedly, more than happy to fill the void of her silence.

"So, how long d'you think we're gonna stay here? I really like this place! It has such a cozy atmosphere," she shivered, "Cold though. But it feels like Christmas."

Andra laughed lightly, "They call it Gyftmas here," she reminded her, "Anyway, I dunno. G hasn't told me yet. He got quiet again." She poked the side of her head, "Hey, you wanna eat here?" She pointed at the small bar they had walked up to.

"Oh, it looks so...comfy!"

"And it's the only place here." Andra added, "Come on. Maybe we can get a seat in the corner." She'd had enough wide open spaces for the day. Her agoraphobia was starting to kick her ass, and she didn't want to waste another propranalol. Of course, close crowds, and small spaces fucked her over just as badly.

The shorter woman practically dragged her into the bar, and up to the counter so they could order, "Food," she said, suddenly ravenous.

She noted several members of the K-9 unit crowded around the tables, seeming to be a little rather friendly, now that they were off the clock.

The fire elemental behind the bar added to the homey atmosphere of the place, and the magical energy coming off of him was simultaneously powerful, and comforting. It seemed there was a lot of strong magic here.

The redhead gave a soft, slightly nervous laugh as they both ordered burgers, taking a seat at the bar, since the other seats were taken.

The meal went relatively quickly, and it didn't take much prompting for her to order a drink to calm her nerves. She was fully aware when their plates were taken away, and she was still nursing a fruity rum drink. She glanced over at her friend, who had started on more candy.

"Hey, you alright?" Kathy asked her gently.

The hair-dye addict gave her a crooked grin, "I'm fine. I think I just need some time alone. If you wanna head back to the hotel, I'll be alright here. I'll head back by closing, alright?"

She watched her carefully, "Okay, if you're sure. Call me if you need me to come walk you back, alright?"

Andra shook her head, "Nah. I got G. You're the defenceless one. Probably why no one is attacking me. I can feel their magic. They can probably feel G's. He wasn't human when he was around."

She smiled lightly, "We probably shouldn't be talking about this here, huh?"

The other laughed lightly, "Yeah, probably. Get 'home' and get some rest, yeah?"

The brunette sighed, sliding off the bar stool, "Fine. Be safe."

"I will."

The moment her friend was out of the bar, she slammed the rest of the drink, setting the glass down on the table, surprised to feel the effects rather quickly, as a simultaneously pleasant and unpleasant heat spread from her throat to her chest, a light blush spreading across her cheeks, "Grillby," she said, placing a few more coins on the bar-top, "This Irish girl wants some whiskey. Please tell me you don't just serve cocktails here, hot-stuff."

He rose a nearly invisible eyebrow, taking her glass before replacing it with a fresh one, filled with three shots worth of good whiskey, "........Enjoy." He crackled.

She took a large sip, scrunching her face at the intensity of the burn, a shiver going through her as the blood rushed to her skin, making her flushed. She could feel herself relaxing for the first time since she had gone into the void, even if she couldn't remember it, but it still wasn't enough.

"Sure you can handle that, sweetheart?"

She almost choked on her drink, not having heard or seen the other arrive. She coughed for a moment, the burn entirely unpleasant, and for a few seconds, she swore she could feel all eyes on her, even though...well, no one seemed to care that she was different. She practically dropped her drink, a little bit of good whiskey spilling over the rim of the glass as she looked at him over the top of her glasses, "Wh-what the hell, Comic? Why'd you...co...uh...cre...sneak up on me like that?"

He chuckled at her, "You callin' me a creep?"

Andra made a face at him, making her glasses slide down to the tip of her nose as she picked up her whiskey again, returning her focus to the drink for a moment. She downed the rest of the glass, slamming the glass on the bartop, this time drawing a little attention to herself, though it dissipated quickly as the various patrons returned to their conversations, some casting a few nervous glances at Comic before doing so. She looked at the skeleton, almost immediately feeling the effects of the alcohol. Whoo, monster food. She was grinning, wasn't she? Ah well, "I...had a  _great_ comeback for you," she replied, giggling a little at the cleverness of it, "But I  _totally_ forgot."

Comic watched her as the alcohol began to take effect, protective instinct taking over. First she came down here panicking, with seemingly no clue what she was, and now she was going to put herself at risk like this? True, it wasn't like Grillby would let her drink enough to poison her soul, even if it was only temporary, but she'd been human, once, and cases like these were rare. The old man wouldn't necessarily know her limits.

Still, he kept his easy smile, arms crossed on the bartop, "Something botherin' ya? No one drinks like that without a reason."

She laughed a little, but her heart wasn't in it, and she absently adjusted her glasses, "I wouldn't even know where to start." She muttered, giving him a crooked smile, "Oi, Grillby...'nother drink. Rum this time."

The fire man gave her a look, glancing at the skeleton seated beside her for a moment. He gave an almost imperceptible nod, before the elemental complied, pouring her another drink and setting it in front of her.

The redhead hadn't seemed to notice the exchange between the two, and she gave the barman a sloppy smile, "Thanks."

He nodded, quickly moving on to help another customer.

Comic tapped the tips of one of his phalanges on the lacquered surface of the wood, capturing her attention, "How 'bout you start at the beginning?"

Andra smirked at him, "Oh, alright--it was a warm, February evening in California, and my mothe--"

"That's not what I meant," he told her, though he seemed rather amused.

She sighed, drinking her rum. Her throat was numb from the whiskey, and the sugar based liquor made her tongue tingle pleasantly, "Hmm...le's'see...I've been having weird cl...cla...future...vision things for  _weeks,_ I fell into the Underground, an' dragged my best friend along behind me--so i's  _my_ fault she got killed--I've got this...magic now, and I'm picking it up okay, but now I've got all this...this...responsi....reaso...responssiblity," she gave up on saying the word correctly, "An' I don' know how to handle tha' shit.  _So,"_ she concluded, a little dramatically, "I'm gonna drink until I have an answer." She took a large gulp of rum, before frowning at the nearly empty glass.

He rose a brow bone, "I'm not sure I heard the exact question there, sweetheart," he replied.

She was more then a little flushed with his eye sockets on her, and the magical alcohol swirling through her system. She looked away, shrugging, "I jus'...need... _direction..._ I need to know what to do. Y'know?"

He nodded, watching her as she downed the last of her drink, stopping her when she got out some coins to pay it, "Grillbz, add her last drink to my tab," he told the elemental, his voice carrying. There was an unspoken instruction to not let her pay again.

"Las' drink, what're you talking about?" She asked, frowning at him, her lower lip poking out in a slight pout.

It was adorable, "You've had enough. I'm'a walk you back to the inn, alright?"

She looked disappointed, " _Fine,"_ she replied, after a moment of quiet, sliding off of the barstool and stumbling. She giggled at being unable to keep her feet, her body tingling at the contact when Comic held her arm to steady her.

The cold outside didn't bother her when they walked through the door. In fact, the chill was welcome against her heated skin, and she unzipped her coat the rest of the way, revealing more of the bright-pink t-shirt underneath. The bold black font proudly stated  **Don't Laugh; It's Your Girlfriend's Shirt** **.**

Comic couldn't help a low chuckle when he saw the graphic, meeting her eyes, "Gettin' a little ahead of yourself, aren't ya?"

She blinked lightly, glancing down, and turning about the same colour as the t-shirt, biting her lip as she met his eyes again, "I dunno, am I?" She asked. He was still holding her steady. She wondered how late it was. The area outside the bar was practically deserted.

He met her eyes, staring at her for several long moments. He had moved closer at some point, closing the distance between them, though she didn't remember him moving. Her boots had her an inch or two taller than him, but the barely-there height difference was nothing next to the power coming off of him in that moment. She wanted to melt against him under that...intensity. 

She leaned forward, kissing him a little impulsively, a shiver running down her spine as he allowed her to have some control, at first. She ran her hand gently over his ribs, her other hand moving to his shoulder for support. She made a mental note to learn all of the proper names for the bones. She had a feeling she'd need to know them in the future. Her fingers trailed gently over his clavicle, and she gently ran her tongue over his slightly parted teeth, surprised when she felt something warm and soft meet with her tongue as he took over the kiss.

A deep growl of desire emanated from him, his magic reacting to the flare of hers when she touched him. She really had no experience with her power, did she? She had no idea what she was doing to him. The naivety would've been cute if he didn't want to pin her against the wall and take her right there. He forced himself to be patient, lacing the fingers of his free hand in her multi-coloured hair, enjoying the way it felt against his phalanges as he tightened his grip slightly, nipping at her lower lip gently, before running a glowing blue tongue over it.

Andra could feel her own magic swell with her arousal, as she felt him break the kiss, her eyes fluttering open, though she didn't remember closing them. She was breathing heavily, the air coming in swirling clouds from her lungs, the soft mist hanging between them a moment, both of their magics mixing in purple and blue, in just the slightest tints in the mist, light neon lights filtering through clouds.

Comic smirked, showing sharp canines, "We're getting outta here. Someplace more private."

She tried to clear her head, "W-wait...but..."

"You wanted direction," he teased, nipping along her jawline to nibble at her earlobe, "So follow it. Close your eyes."

She shivered from head to toes, though whether from his actions, or the cold, she wasn't sure. She followed his instruction, and could feel his power flare, before his hands shifted to slide her coat off of her shoulders. It hit the floor with a heavy sound, the air around them surprisingly warm, but she kept her eyes closed, biting her lip and waiting for his instruction to open them again.

Her back hit something solid, and then...nothing for almost a minute. She couldn't seem to move when she finally tried, and she heard a low chuckle.

"You can open your 'em now, sweetheart," he told her, "We're here."

 She slowly opened her eyes, her heart pounding as she looked around the room for a moment. It was a bit small. Messy, but comfortable. Not too cluttered, it didn't trigger either of her phobias. Not that there was room in her head for fear with the starved look the skeleton was giving her sending heat into her core. She was still buzzing with the pleasant effects of alcohol, trying to lift herself from the wall, only to find Comic's smirk growing wider, as his magic flared again, his eye glowing a visible blue.

"Relax while ya can," he told her, taking his time to look her over.

The redhead opened her mouth to speak, "C-Com...come on, I...you're making it...really hard to think...."

He smirked, "Ya did that to yourself. I'm just helpin' you along."

She shuddered lightly, "So are you gonna keep helping, or are you gonna just stand there and enjoy the view?" She asked, her voice a little bolder than it would have been if she hadn't been drinking.

 Before The skeleton could properly react, the phone in her pocket gave a warning buzz, before the tone started.

_Lollipop, lollipop, oh~, lolli, lolli, lolli,_

She jumped, and it took a moment for her to process the fact that her phone was ringing.

_Lollipop, lollipop, oh~, lolli, lolli, lolli,_

"What the hell is that?" Comic asked, more than a little annoyed at the interruption.

_Lollipop, lollipop, oh~, lolli, lolli, lolli,_

"My ringtone for uh...for..."

_Lolli **pop,**_

"For Kathy. I need to get this," she finished quickly.

_Badum-bum-bu--_

"Hello?"

"Andra? Oh, thank god you answered. Where did you go? I saw you come out of the bar with that skeleton guy--"

"Comic," she said quickly, more prone to interrupting with a few drinks in her.

"Comic..." She repeated slowly, "And you just...just disappeared. Are you okay? Where are you?"

He sighed, "My room. Mine and my brothers' place is just past the library," he said, a little impatiently, moving close to her again, nipping at her neck, and drawing a barely stifle gasp from her.

"C-Com," she whispered, covering the receiver for a moment, taking a slow breath, "U-um...he said his place is j-just past the libr...librarby." She gave up trying to say it correctly, "But now's not a good time."

"Oh, sorry, did I interrupt something?" As if she had only  _just_ realised.

"Yes." Comic said within pickup range of the mic.

At the same time Andra said, "Kinda."

Kathy paused where she had been walking in the snow to find her friend, a little flushed from the cold, and the sounds her friend was starting to make on the other end of the line, "Hookay...I'll uhh...I'll let you go then. See you in the morning!" She said quickly, hanging up before what they were doing could escalate.

Andra heard the line go dead and didn't even bother to hang up properly, dropping the phone on the ground, so it landed on her jacket, wrapping her arms around the skeleton in front of her so he couldn't pull away again, as she began to nibble gently at the vertebrae that made up his neck, drawing a delicious shiver from him.

He didn't ask her to close her eyes this time. Reality twisted around on itself, and for a moment, everything ceased, then it was there again, and she was nude on his bed, lying underneath him, her clothing still drifting to the floor on the other end of the room. She went crimson, surprised that he was a little heavier on top of her than expected, like he'd actually be able to hold her down. A rolling ache of desire went through her at that thought, and she licked her lips lightly, fighting the automatic urge to cover herself. Of course a huge part of her was self conscious, but the way he was looking at her, with such raw  **need.** **...** Every instinct in her body and soul wanted her to fulfil that need, no matter what it took.

She sat up, tugging at his sweater, shoving it off of his shoulders and tossing it aside, before his t-shirt joined the pile. She took a moment to explore his ribs, her fingers delving experimentally through them as she traced ever nook, and cranny, and imperfection. Across the left side of his ribcage, just underneath where his heart would have been, there were four wicked looking gouges in the bone that looked like they had never properly healed. She took a little extra time there, her touch gentle, before she moved on, her actions only serving to increase Comic's desire.

He gave a low growl of need, flicking the tip of his thumb over her nipples, eliciting a soft moan in reaction, "Goddamn...d'ya have any idea what you're doin' to me?" He asked her.

She nipped at his clavicle, "Mmm...I have a feeling I'm gonna find out..." She purred, wiggling her hips slightly against him, drawing a low groan from him as he pushed her back on the bed.

"Good instincts," he replied, running his glowing blue tongue across his teeth and sending a visible shiver through her body.

She was aching to be touched, heat crawling up from her core, one of his hands playing over her thigh. He sent a pulse of his unformed magic to her, letting her feel the same unfiltered desire that she was sending his way. The rainbow-haired woman moaned at the feeling washing through her, the arousal alone enough to make her want to start begging.

Her legs spread for him almost too easily, and he couldn't help but smirk at how eager she was. He was no expert on human women, but he knew enough.

He coated his fingers in a layer of magic to make it more gentle on her, running them along her slit. She was so wet and swollen for him, her scent driving him wild with desire. His mind played out all the ways he could have her. All the ways he could make her scream his name. Why did he need her so badly?

Andra bit her lip lightly, one of her hands playing absently over her breast, rolling her nipple between her fingers, as she watched him with half lidded golden eyes. Her eyes were a little unfocused, glasses left behind with her clothing.

Comic Sans couldn't hold back anymore.

He shifted to push her legs wider apart, keeping contact with her eyes. His tongue passed between his teeth, before he ran its full length over her swollen and sore clit.

Andra gasped, an almost electric shock running through her, the magic it was created with almost overloading her with sensation, her breath releasing in a throaty moan, "Nnh...fuck..." 

He gave an almost baritone chuckle, "Not until I say so." He growled lowly, nipping along her labia, before flicking his tongue over her clit again, his hands massaging along her thighs. He enjoyed the sounds of her moans in response, his actions only getting hungrier.

If she couldn't think before, her mind was shattered in the most pleasant of ways, now. She tried to writhe, but he held her hips in place as he assaulted her clit, before pressing his tongue inside of her. A desperate moan tore from her throat, her back arching up off the bed. Her fingers tangled in the bedsheets, and he didn't let up until she had ridden out her climax.

She lay there for a few moments, panting desperately for breath, her entire body still occasionally pulsing with her orgasm. She gave him a satisfied grin, "H-holy shit..." She breathed.

He smirked, his eye flaring blue as her body suddenly felt heavy, "Heh. Don't act all worn out already. That was just the warm up," he told her.

If it had been possible, she would have blushed more, "I-I thought...you were...s'posed to be lazy?" She replied, licking her lips lightly. After tonight, she didn't believe that for a second. He wasn't lazy...just...practical.

He moved to kneel between her legs, "Welp. Gotta use all that energy somewhere." He winked.

"Use me anytime," she purred, "Now are you gonna show me what you're hiding under those shorts, or do I have to use my imagination?" She asked, licking her lips, her eyes flicking unashamedly down.

A tinge of blue crossed his cheekbones. He hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his shorts, lowering them almost teasingly slow.

Her eyes tracked them inch by inch, and she chewed on her lip as he pulled them down, over his hip-bones, then lower, before finally revealing what was underneath.

"Damn," she breathed lowly, another strong aftershock of her previous climax rolling through her with another rush of magic and arousal.

Her magic hit him hard. His eye flared a brighter blue, and he shifted to pin her hands above her head, leaning down to capture her lips again, lining himself up with her entrance once he had her hands where he wanted them, and could hold them there with magic. He broke the kiss, rubbing himself along her slickness, nibbling along her neck, leaving marks that would be visible the next day. That was good. She belonged to him, and if his magic all over her wasn't enough to drive the point home, the physical signs would be.

Andra licked her lips, struggling against the hold of his magic without realising it. A low groan escaped her as he slowly, _too slowly,_ pressed into her entrance, just the head of his cock stretching her wider than anything she was used to. She'd experimented with the odd toy, here or there, but...fuck. This was a world and a half away from that, wasn't it?

Comic shifted a little, leaning his forehead against hers, "Y'okay there, sweetheart?" He asked, voice a little strained.

She tried to catch her breath, squeezing herself around him experimentally. It made her vision almost go white for a moment, little inverse fireworks popping at the edges. She was already so damn sensitive from one climax, any little thing was almost too much. She tried to focus on the question, but the look on his face from her actions spoke volumes in and of itself, "I-I'm fine," she said breathily.

He managed a tight grin, running the fingers of one hand through her hair, pulling slightly and watching as she shivered with pleasure. He pressed a little deeper into her to drive the feeling home, "Good," he told her quietly, massaging her scalp a little, before his fingers tightened in her multicoloured hair again, "I...know you don't have any experience with monsters..." he took a barely controlled breath, "I can't hold back much longer. I'm about to get a lot less gentle, so this is your last, and only chance to back out."

Well, truth be told, apart from some very vivid fantasies she'd never been self destructive enough to act on, and the thing with...heh.. _.well._..she had no real experience. At all. But that didn't mean she wanted him to stop. She stared at him, her own magic flaring in purple and blue, "Com...you're not gonna break me."

He smirked almost dangerously, thrusting fully into her, sending hot electricity up her spine, and making her almost scream in confused pain and pleasure as he bottomed out against her cervix, filling her more than she had thought was possible. He leaned down, teeth brushing her ear as he spoke, "Is that a challenge,  _sweetheart?_ _"_

Andra was speechless, too overloaded to speak, even if she had the breath to do it. He began pumping in and out of her, biting and tonguing her more roughly, marking her prominently as his. She could feel his magic too, filling her where his length couldn't reach. The juxtaposition of the sensations sent her addled mind spinning. She couldn't think, and that was exactly what she needed.

Powerlessness washed over her as she realised he could truly do anything he wanted with her. She was trapped, completely and utterly at his mercy. A loud moan broke her lips at the thought, earning a near growl of approval from he skeleton above her, as he thrust harder into her, his hands shifting to hold onto her hips in a punishing grip. Bruises bloomed on her pale skin within minutes as he continued to take what he wanted from her.

Over-sensitivity made her vision go technicolour, as another climax completely took her senses. She wasn't aware of him releasing her from his magic, but when he did, she was immediately clinging to him, one arm draped over his shoulders, the other clenched tightly around one of his larger ribs. 

Comic dug the tips of his phalanges into her wide hips, thrusting into her hard, enjoying the pained moans she made every time he filled her. He was so close, but he wanted this to last. She had asked for this. She wanted it. She threw herself at him. Drunk or not, she had practically  **begged** for him. Not just in body, but in soul. Something was a little...off about her magic, yeah, but at that moment? He hardly gave a shit.

Right now, she **belonged** to him, and he would make damn sure anyone who looked at her knew it. 

His thrusts got a little more off-cadence as he got closer to his climax, burying his face against her neck and biting her hard enough to break the skin a little.

She gasped, pulling him tighter against her.

He thrust a few more times, before burying himself deep, cumming hard inside of her.

Comic stayed inside of her for a minute or two after he came, panting for breath he didn't really need as he tried to hold onto the moment, sockets closed as he breathed in her scent.

He dissipated his magic, leaving her feeling empty, and she gave a low groan, shifting slightly to snuggle against him as he rolled to lie next to her, "That was...wow..." She murmured.

"Ya always this eloquent?" He asked her from where he had once again buried his face against her skin, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her tight against him.

She gave a breathy laugh, but didn't have the energy to put more into it, "Only when I get to let go like  _that."_ She replied, tracing her fingers delicately over him.

He chuckled, "I'll help ya let go anytime," he purred lowly, his voice vibrating through his bones.

"I'll hold you to that."


	9. Jealousy and Morals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll start off today with a mini-comic of the phone call from the last chapter, then we'll jump right in. Enjoy! And don't forget, we love you~.

 

 

 

* * *

 

_Andra felt her awareness slipping once more to where Gaster waited in the infinite. She wondered if he was aware of what she had been doing, before immediately chastising herself for caring. Annnnd...then feeling guilty for thinking she shouldn't care. Dammit, she needed to find a therapist down here. Why did she choose now to start having sex, again? Oh yeah...with G, she hadn't had much choice, and then he'd made her want it, and with Comic she'd been drunk...and then he'd made her want it._

_What the fuck._

_Maybe under all the neuroses, and social anxiety, and medication she was just a slut._

_There was a frustrated sound from the figure nearby, and when the redhead turned her head to look at him, she was shocked to see he wasn't smiling. He frowned at her, his eyes still empty and expressionless, **"I don't appreciate you thinking of yourself in such a manner,"** he said firmly, looking at her sidelong._

_She stared, at him, opening her mouth to speak, before shutting again, moving to put distance between them before he could close what was already there, "Well, sorry to say, you don't exactly have any control over that. Hell, I barely control it," she replied, crossing her arms. She was a little surprised to notice that the bruises that she had earned from her bedroom activities were visible on her metaphysical form as well, perhaps as a result of the magic Comic had been pumping into her the whole time. She blushed, but she wasn't embarrassed of them. A part of her wanted to show them off, not that she understood that urge in the slightest._

_Gaster watched her in silence, hands behind his back as he contemplated. She was facing away from him, and it was clear that she was conflicted. It was his responsibility to explain what was going on with her, even if he...hated it. Of course, he wanted his son to be happy. Just because he had created the boy in a lab, didn't mean that he was any less his child. He had no intentions of taking Andra from him. Even if every scattered fragment of him screamed for him to remind her who she belonged to and burn the other male's magic off painfully and by force._

_The entire Void seemed to resonate with that desire, and he carefully calmed himself, taking a slow, silent and entirely ineffective breath, **"If you're done...being lost in thought,"**  he forced civility, though he wasn't ready to explain the details of what she was feeling yet,  **"You have contractual duties to fulfil. Your new...friend has a key hidden in his room. I'll need you to retrieve it. It will allow us access to a lab where I can begin proper research."**_

__ _Andra straightened, frozen for a moment, before whipping around, the dress she had formed around herself last time she was here flaring out, "Holy shit, that's not why I felt so compelled to sleep with him, is it? Because it is really not cool to force me to fuck people just for you to get what you want."_

_He stared in shock,_ **"What?"** _He asked with clear anger, **"Of course not! That's completely preposterous!"** Why would he _ **want** _anyone else to touch her? He gave a sigh of annoyance, **"I am simply taking advantage of the situation. I happen to know this skeleton quite well. He and his twin have a lab in a separate area in the back of the house. They study what I once did. In fact...I used to work over them."** It was a partial truth. He was allowed to omit information, even if he couldn't outright lie._

_She ran a hand through her hair with a sigh, "Am I ever going to get real sleep again, or is it all gonna be this, and you controlling me?"_

**_"I told you, your sleeping hours belong to_ ** _**me,"** he replied,  **"I'm going to trust you to retrieve the key, and...get yourself back to the inn and cleaned up. I'll take over once we're inside of the lab. If either Comic or Serif discovers us there, I'll take care of it."**_

_The rainbow-haired woman felt sudden doubt, "You didn't tell me there would be like...breaking and entering."_

**_"That is why I will take care of it."_ **

_"But it's my body," she replied, shifting her hands to her hips._

**_"Which you gave to me until you fulfil our contract. You're honestly lucky I'm allowing you use of it at all. I would be far less behind schedule, if I weren't taking you into account in all of this. You would do well to consider that."_ **

_She flinched, looking away from him, her hands dropping to her sides, out of her defiant stance, "Of course. Sorry,_ Master," _her voice was dripping with sarcasm, "Just let me know how I can be useful. I wouldn't want to lose privileges."_

_Gaster fell silent, his hands clenched._

_Andra let the silence hang in the air, enjoying his discomfort for a moment. It was what he got for threatening her when she was only trying to help._

_He sighed heavily, **"I was out of line. I would give you my apologies, but I cannot guarantee I will not act in such a way in the future. Being here is...quite a strain. I can say, I will attempt not to take it out on you."**_

_She shook her head, covering her eyes for a moment, massaging the bridge of her nose, "Whatever, G. Let's just get this done. The sooner I help you, the sooner you can be out of my head, right?"_

_Pain lanced through him at her words, but he kept his reaction subdued, **"Quite right."**_

_She could feel that she had hurt him with that last one, but she forced herself to stay cold, waiting quietly for him to send her back to the waking world._

* * *

 Andra opened her eyes, staring at the sleeping skeleton by her side for several moments as she tried to clear her pounding head. She smiled lightly. When she was completely sober, she was sure her thoughts would be different, but she could admit, in private, that it was nice waking up beside him. But she didn't plan on getting into the habit no matter how much she liked this right now. 

She carefully extricated herself from his embrace, not wanting to wake him. Not that she had to worry. He gave a soft snore as she pulled the blanket up over his shoulder and he snuggled it to his chest in his sleep. She gave a soft laugh, before shaking her head lightly, getting up from the bed and quietly sneaking around the room to retrieve her clothing.

Somehow, none of it was quite in the orderly pile it had been left in, scattered about the room as if the clothing had a mind of its own, and it took a few tries before she found her panties and the jeans that fit over her hips, biting her lip at the feel of the denim digging into the bruises where Comic had been holding onto her. She gave up on finding her bra, finally settling on grabbing a t-shirt she thought might be hers off the floor and pulling it over her head.

The redhead double checked she had the rest of her things, occasionally glancing toward the softly snoring skeleton, making sure that he wasn't waking up. Guilt shot through her as she slowly began going through his things in the darkness, hesitating before using her magic to guide her.

When she finally found the key, she pulled her jacket on properly, picking up her boots and carrying them in her hand, sparing Comic one last glance, and slipping out of his room, not sure what to expect on the other side of the door. 

She walked slowly down the hall, not wanting to wake the skeleton brothers. It was late, and while they hadn't mentioned any other family members, she didn't want to chance them waking and finding a stranger in their home.

Andra passed by four doors--one was _probably_ the bathroom, but just in case--and a painting of a bone, before the hall opened into a small landing, and a set of stairs, going down into a living room and a somewhat disused dining area. A light glowed from the kitchen, lighting the dining area in an indirect glow. She was surprised to see the normally exuberant Papyrus looking rather tired at the table, his red gloves that he had been wearing outside removed and set to the side, bare hands cradling a cup of spicy smelling cocoa.

He looked up when she paused, offering her a friendly grin, apparently not surprised by her presence there, "You are up very early," he commented.

She jumped slightly, "You uh...don't seem all too surprised I'm here."

The skeleton gestured for her to sit down for a moment, and she took the seat, watching him sip the nutmeg-and-cinnamon scented cocoa between his teeth.

Papyrus couldn't  _not_ notice his brother's mark on the mage. Comic had taken measures to be sure any male who even stood in the same room as her would know she was claimed. He was happy his brother had found someone, but they  _had_ only just met. He would have to be there for them all, if there was any chance this not-human could become family, "I felt you arrive with Comic a few hours ago. His magic leaves an awful residue!" He complained, smiling with some amusement, "I have told him repeatedly not to take shortcuts in the house."

She smiled, laughing lightly, "Sorry about that, Papyrus. We didn't want to inconvenience you any. I hope we uh...we didn't wake you." She blushed.

He focused on his cocoa, "Do not worry. I, the Great Papyrus, am excellent at sleep, as I am at all other things," he glanced up, giving her a small smile as he noted the blush, "You do not have to be embarrassed for being with my brother. I know he is not as great as I am, but he is nothing to be ashamed of."

Her eyes widened, and she immediately hid behind her hair, blushing darker, "Uh...Paps, we're...n-not exactly... _with_ eachother. Last night just...k-kinda happened."

He tilted his head, slightly confused. She didn't understand that she'd been marked? But she had magic. She should have been able to sense it. 

Andra continued to hide behind her curtain of rainbow hair. Sobriety was looming like the infinite void, and she was starting to feel nauseated, "Would you please stop staring at me?"

The tall skeleton glanced down again, "So you and Comic are not 'together?'" He asked slowly.

She glanced up between strands of hair, "No. We're not. I...uh...I can't say what'll happen in the future, but right now...we barely know eachother. Human culture is a lot different. What I...uh...we...your brother and I did last night...it happens, and for guys it's no big deal, but...well, for women it's pretty frowned upon, outside a relationship. But that...is a lot more mental strain than I can handle right now."

Oh. Right, she'd been raised by humans--that made sense, if she had come from the surface. He had thought of it before, but the connection hadn't formed. When she mentioned mental strain, he gave her a reassuring smile, "Perhaps I can be of some assistance?" He offered, "I am a very good listener. I even listen to Comic and Serif's awful puns and knock knock jokes."

He had, in fact, listened to a lot more than they thought he had, but they hadn't wanted him to worry, so...he never mentioned it, helping where he could, and never arousing their suspicion. Yes, he had more natural exuberance, and he sometimes talked too much, but he was just as much an Aster as his siblings, after all.

The redhead brushed her hair out of her eyes, adjusting her glasses, and giving a soft laugh, "Tell you what--if you do your best to keep our conversations between us, when I'm feeling down, I'll talk to you, okay?" She told him.

His smile grew wide, "Okay! But I would like to talk to you when you are not feeling down as well!"

She rubbed the side of her head, thinking hard about coffee for a moment, before her thoughts returned to the moment, "How 'bout...we make a promise to meet every couple days? It's not like I'm getting out of the Underground anytime soon."

"Agreed!"

Seemed she'd found her therapist.

They talked for a few minutes more, before she excused herself, getting her boots on and giving Papyrus a hug goodbye. He was too much of a sweetie for her to say no. He offered to walk her back to the inn, but she promised she'd be fine, and he seemed to believe it, adding that he had an early morning training session with Undyne--whoever that was--soon, and that he should be going.

They walked out the door around the same time, waving eachother off again, before walking in opposite directions. 

She expected agitation from the void-man in her head, as she walked, noting the stones in the ceiling of the cave brightening slightly--how did that even work?--but instead she felt some...relief from him. He seemed calmer, now that she was no longer angry. Though it didn't mean that she wasn't still in a moral conflict over breaking into the lab of someone who trusted her enough to let her into their home, and fall asleep next to her. Not that she'd be okay with breaking into a complete stranger's property, either.

She arrived at the hotel, heading up the stairs to the room that she and Kathy had been meant to share.

The other was sleeping, but she woke when the door clicked shut, blinking a few times as she acclimatised to her surroundings, "Hnh? Andra?"

The redhead grinned sheepishly, "Uh...y-yeah." She could practically hear the other's smirk in the dark room.

"So how'd it go?" The brunette asked in an almost sing-songy voice, though it was still a little cracked with sleep, "I mean, he's a skeleton, so you've got me curious. I need details." She still didn't move from the unreasonably comfortable bed, though her dark eyes were watching her friend in the shadow of the room. It was the mattress' fault really, that she couldn't bring herself to get up.

" _Wh-what?_ Kathy, please. I don't wanna talk about this," she replied, clearly sobering up more than before.

"It's my job. What else are best friends for? Anyway, I'm taken. So I have to live vicariously through you. Spill." She wasn't going to go further into the thought that her boyfriend wasn't here. That she wouldn't see him again. Why had she brought that up? She nuzzled into the pillow slightly.

Andra felt a stab of guilt at that, even though she knew it wasn't the proper emotion for the situation. Dammit. Now she had to distract her, "After you left the bar...I uh...got a little...alright, a lottle drunk, and Comic showed up," she sat on her bed, "Anyway, I'm  _not_ going into details, no matter how much you ask, but uh...i-it was..."  _Exactly what she had needed,_ "Intense."

 "Intense huh?" She asked, finally managing to sit up a little on one arm, "Come on. You can do better than that."

She sighed, going crimson, even as she flicked the lamp between their beds on, unzipping her jacket and sliding it off behind her. The electric glow lit the visible bite marks trailing up her neck, and she even turned her head a little, stretching the collar of the shirt (which she now realised was  _not_ hers) to show another on her opposite shoulder, "Intense." She repeated, not looking at Kathy.

The brunette stared openly for a few seconds, before she burst into giggles, covering her face with the pillow for a moment to muffle them. When she finally calmed enough to speak, the ginger was hiding behind her hands to cover her blush, her glasses pushed up into her hair, "Wow, Andra," she grinned, "I didn't know you would be the type to jump right in to rough play."

She didn't move her hands, voice muffled when she spoke, "Well, I did, and I liked it," she managed, curling up as if to hide more. After a few seconds, she took a slow breath, dropping her hands, "But I don't have time to keep giggling. While I was in there...well...um...let's just say, G has some work for me to do." She sighed.

Kathy frowned, "Work? What sort of work?"

She sighed, grabbing her jacket and pulling the key out of the pocket, "He wants me to break into a lab...specifically...Comic and Serif's lab, behind their house. Apparently they used to work together."

"Those two are scientists?" She asked, a little disbelievingly.

_**Physicists, specifically.** _

"Yeah. Physicists, I guess," she repeated almost automatically. It was weird that it was getting so comfortable to play interpreter for the voice in her head, "I need to change into something a bit more...practical, I guess. _I'll_ finally get some rest when he takes over at the lab. He's gonna have me sleeping in my head after what happened last time. Wouldn't want to lose more time getting me back from the Void again."

"Back from the void?" She asked, "You never explained that properly."

"Yeah. I still don't want to," she replied seriously, standing and moving to change. She wasn't in the least self conscious as she went into her backpack to grab some clean clothing, that she thought the other consciousness might be more comfortable in, "I'm gonna clean up real quick. You can go back to sleep if you want. I don't know how long I'll be at the lab."

She didn't give her friend a chance to say anything as she went into the adjoining bathroom. She took a little time in the shower to look over herself, admiring the bruises and bites left behind, allowing the hot water to soothe the aches a little. She imagined Comic in there with her, as she ran her hands over the bruises, lathering up the soap.

The feeling went in a flash as the other presence in her mind bristled silently.

 She groaned aloud,  _What is your problem?_ She asked silently, not wanting Kathy to hear her arguing with herself.

_**Is now really the time to be engaging in such...fantasies?**_ He sounded uncomfortable.

And...of course he was. Fuck,  _Sorry. And for my outburst earlier. Unlike you, I can promise not to act like that again, at least, and mean it. I'm just not used to sharing myself with someone else like this._

She was clearly getting  _very_ used to it, very quickly, though.

Neither was sure whose thought that was, as both had an immediate emotional response to it, on in jealousy, and annoyance, the other in self loathing, and...near pleasure at the idea, which in turn was disturbing as hell to both of them.

_Okay, I didn't agree to share my mind with you, G. Can I have just a_ little  _more mental privacy?_ She asked with a tinge of desperation, rinsing off before turning off the water, squeezing out what she could of her hair.

_**I can try, but that is not fully under my control either.**_ He told her with a sigh,  ** _Being connected both body and soul tends to have other...ramifications. Ones I cannot predict._**

Andra flinched as she grabbed a fluffy towel, surprised to find it pleasantly warm as she quickly dried herself off,  _Great. Well, all we can do is look into them while we're doing the other research to get you your own body, right? I mean...I could be pissed off at you, but this effects both of us._

She could feel his surprise,  _ **You're willing to help me with research?**_

_Of course. I agreed to help. I'm no physicist, but I'm good at the theoretical part. I'm not just a body for you to use when you want to feel something._

He fell silent in her mind at that, and she regretted her words almost immediately.

_I mean...Gaster, don't take that the wrong wa--_

**_No, you're absolutely right. I appreciate the offer, Andra._ **

The rest of the time in the small room was spent in silence as she got dressed, carefully putting on a tight-fitting sports bra, recalling his discomfort with her breasts from his disjointed recollection of the brief conversation with Kathy that he had had. She pulled on a tight black tank top, which constricted her more, though not to a dangerous point. That should help, at least a little. She pulled on her jeans, and a button up white shirt, which she left unbuttoned, not having anything more practical with her, yet.

She'd have to see about buying some more masculine clothing, as well as something a little more feminine than her casual wear, for her own uses. If she was going to share a body with Gaster for any amount of time, she'd have to start making compromises. 

She could feel some appreciation from him at that, and she smiled lightly, sending her own somewhat undefined positive emotion back. Maybe this could work.

When Andra came out of the bedroom, she was surprised to see her friend had gotten dressed as well, and was waiting for the other to get done.

The redhead cleaned her glasses on her shirt as she squinted at Kathy, "Are we really gonna have this argument again?" She asked.

"No. Because you lost last time," she said smugly, "I'm not letting you break into a lab alone. I don't know how it works down here, but best friends should always end up sitting in a jail cell together, right?" And no matter how civil he'd seemed, she didn't trust G alone in a laboratory with her friend's body.

She slowly smiled, "Okay. But it really will be boring this time. I won't be awake to entertain you."

"I'll find some way to survive."


	10. Breaking and Entering

The walk to the cozy house past the librarby--Andra noted with some humour that it actually was misspelled that way--seemed shorter this time, and they quickly spotted the door to the lab now that they were looking for it. They were mostly silent, enjoying the sound of the quiet, underground ecosystem, the light of the stones that showed the general hour slowly brightening. Even if they looked like starlight on a clear night at their brightest, the light reflected off the snow, making conditions relatively comfortable to see in. 

Andra was careful not to take too much time in the open, not wanting to be spotted by anyone as she moved behind some trees, to shove the light-catching silver key into the old lock. It was a little disused, and the tumblers protested as she turned it, but the heavy door still opened with a creak. The outside looked like a hard wood, but inside was lined with a heavy metal of some kind, and sealed against any kind of contaminants. They walked in, the room somehow...scentless. It was disconcerting. Scent wasn't one of the senses she was used to paying any mind to, but as the door sealed behind them, a single bulb lit above them, the room was devoid of it. Only a few feet away, there was another sealed door. She moved onto that one quickly, the small space making her dizzy and a little light-headed.

The door opened on a relatively small, windowless space, counters lining either side, with notes scattered over one, along with seating for two. The other counter had several research materials, and a multitude of things she couldn't begin to understand. A doorway led into another, slightly larger room, with another research, station, and a large...machine of some type covered with a sheet.

There was another separate room with two almost sterile-looking cots inside, as well as a closet with some safety equipment inside.

"So can you work with this, G?" She asked aloud, partially for Kathy's benefit.

Kathy glanced up as she looked through the drawers a little nosily, flipping through a worn photo album.

**_Of course. Some of my old research notes are in a drawer there, in fact. This will be an excellent start._ **

She sighed, "Alright. I guess...you wanna take over, before they get up?"

"Too late," Serif's voice rang from the doorway. He looked at Kathy, "I'll take care'a ya in a minute," he looked back to Andra, _"You've_ got about two seconds to explain what you're doing here with a stolen key, before I call Comic in to deal with ya."

She blushed, glaring at him, "Don't throw your weight around, you dick. You know absolutely nothing about why I'm here."

His eye flared blue, and she felt her soul taken by his magic for a moment. She was lifted from her feet, her gravity under his control, "If you keep up that attitude, it ain't gonna be  _my_ weight I'm throwin' around, mage." He replied.

"What the hell, Serif, put her down! What are you doing to her?!"

She wanted to be angry, but she felt Gaster's calming influence in her mind. She hadn't known he could do that....

**_Andra, allow me to handle this._ **

She sighed, bowing her head, "Alright." She said out loud, before the deep purple magic, that very clearly wasn't her own began to consume her.

Serif gave her a strange look, glancing at Kathy, "What is she doing?" He asked, clearly having his suspicions. But he didn't want to admit it.

"Um...well you'll see in a minute, but you might want to put them down."

"Like hell," he snapped, "This magic is  _not_ supposed to be here. Why does the mage have it?" He demanded.

 **"Because she signed a contract with me,"** the voice coming from Andra was clipped and even, not exactly her voice, and not at all her tone,  **"** **It has been quite a long time, Serif...."** He looked him over,  **"I thought you'd be taller."**

The skeleton's eye-sockets widened, and his magic dissipated in his surprise, allowing G's gravity to return to normal, and for him to land on the floor, "No. You erased yourself from the timeline. How're you even here?"

He cocked a magically scarred eyebrow,  **"Sheer force of will? I managed to scrape together enough of myself, through enough repetitive timelines to make contact with the only descendent of the mages who sealed the monsters here. In an infinite multiverse, she is the only one whom I have found with the old magic still strong in her blood. I'm certain you are also aware of the anomaly of there being two of you here. As well as the last fallen human going the way of the first. The chances of this timeline existing were minimal. I had to take the opportunity to study it further, and see if it could be the key to fixing the multiverse, and stopping the resets."**

Serif stared at him, wishing he had his sweater to shove his hands into his pockets, before remembering Kathy still had it. In fact she was wearing it, but--he looked at her--she looked cuter in it than he did. He shook his head lightly, looking back to the old man, in the young woman's body, "Alright. So...this is the timeline you wanna normalise? Heh. Well, I gotta say, I'm kinda surprised. I'd'a thought you'd go for something more stable, dad."

**"I'm assuming you have worries of quantum decoherence? I have been rather more...direct than usual. Timelines in which I can even form enough to communicate are rare in and of themselves."**

"Well, _yeah_ , it's a concern. Your involvement creates a bit of an entanglement. You're involved, so we can't get rid'a ya now, if we wanted to, without having a helluva ripple effect," the skeleton replied in frustration.

G adjusted his borrowed body's glasses, opening his mouth to reply before Kathy spoke up.

"Whoa, whoa. Back up. Did you just call G _'dad?'"_ She asked in disbelief.

Gaster didn't know whether to be exasperated, embarrassed, or amused. He crossed his arms, glad to see the um...obstructions...were a little flatter today,  **"Yes. I suppose I didn't think it necessary to mention. Comic, Serif, and Papyrus are my sons."**

"B-but you and Andr--" She stopped at the look the other gave her, one of his orange eyes briefly a dark purple, immediately shutting up, "Y'know, never mind. I never really cared, anyway." She gave a nervous laugh.

 **"Of course not."** He said without much amusement.

 Serif frowned, "Should I be clued in here?" He seemed totally at ease with them being in the lab now that he'd gotten the explanation he'd wanted, but that didn't mean he was suddenly comfortable with having his father back in the picture after years--centuries, in human terms--of independence. And he didn't like him threatening the lady. Even if he didn't mean it.

Gaster pressed his lips together, actually managing to have some colour in his borrowed body's now sickly pale skin, though for the most part he managed to keep his composure, the more sterile environment of the lab making it easier for him to feel like himself. He adjusted his glasses, and frowned at his son,  **"I believe she was referring to the fact that I am anchored in Andra's body and soul. And that my host and your twin have had some..."** he cleared his throat,  **"Interest in one another, this past evening."**

"Interest? They woke the whole house. I dunno how your whole thing works exactly, but if it's how I think it is, then I wanna know how  _you_ slept through it from inside her head, old man," the shorter skeleton replied, teleporting over to lean against the countertop that Kathy was standing next to, giving her a grin that might have been charming under other circumstances.

  **"How many times have I told you not to call me that?"** He sighed, annoyedly shoving his borrowed body's hair out of the way of his eyes. It was getting more obnoxious as it dried from the previous shower.

"Ah, right, I should probably start callin' you young lady, eh?" Serif smirked, prompting a sudden burst of laughter from the brunette beside him.

 **"I brought you into this world. I think you know the rest,"** he replied, entirely unamused. A few rainbow strands fell into his eyes again, and he pursed his lips in frustration, before looking at Kathy,  **"Okay, how does she deal with this? Because if this falls in my face one more time, I'm going to shave it."**

 The brunette stopped laughing, "Oh, no, no, no! Don't do that! She needs something safe to cut in case she gets self destructive. And also, her hair is so pretty! Here, lemme help," she moved over to the other, "There should be some hair stuff in Andra's bag on your hip there." She gestured to black and green kilt bag that the other had included in the outfit without a thought, not having been sure how long Gaster would be taking over.

He looked at it, as if only having just noticed it, before digging around inside, glancing over the pill labels as he did so. He was no chemist, nor pharmacologist, but he wished he could say that he could only imagine what she must have been through to need so much. He understood that mages and humans worked much the same way, when isolated from magic, but in the presence of magic, mages began to behave much more like monsters. The havoc being wreaked by the conflict between magic, true need for this chemical stability, and her body, mind and soul transitioning how it primarily functioned--the transition could take awhile--was going to take its toll on her.

When he finally found the items in the small bag (perhaps she had a better understanding of quantum physics than she thought--there was  _no_ way that much should fit inside), that he thought might be for hair, Kathy took them from him, setting them on a spot she had cleared on the counter.

"Okay, sit, and hold still. I'll get it out of your face," she told him. But she fully planned on getting pictures of this.

And judging by the snickering skeleton on the other side of the room, she wasn't the only one.

G sighed heavily, sitting down, closing his eyes and setting aside the glasses so they didn't get in the way,  **"I suppose you're going to tell Comic about this."**

"Oh, hell yeah. That's gonna be hilarious. Just wait until I see the look on his face when I tell him whose inside his girlfriend's head."

He sighed heavily, but didn't reply. He was  _not_ looking forward to that conversation. Yes, he could tune out their activities to a point. There were an infinite number of places in the multiverse to focus on, after all. But it didn't always help. He stayed silent, the other's snickering calming down as Kathy brushed and pulled back the annoying locks of hair, finally getting them out of his face. He opened his eyes, retrieving the glasses off the counter and blinking a few times, shaking his head slightly as if to test, **"Hm. Better, I suppose. Thank you."**

The brunette shrugged, "Not a problem. Andra would be pissed if you shaved her head," she replied, before smirking, "After all, Comic wouldn' have anything to pull if you did." It was an assumption based on the bites--which were, strangely, a lot less severe with G controlling her friend's body--but she felt it was an accurate one.

His scarred eyebrow twitched visibly and a purple-tinged flush crossed his face,  **"Will you _not_ talk about that?" **He asked, his demeanour cracking for a moment.

Serif chuckled heartily, "I've never seen the old man so flustered. I think I'll keep ya around, Sugar," he gave her a sly grin.

Kathy rose an eyebrow at the nickname, "Keep me around? What were you gonna do before?"

"You're trespassing on private property, full of sensitive information. I'd be in my rights to do somethin' about ya," he replied, his eye-sockets flickering dark for a moment, before returning to normal, "But I like ya," he smiled pleasantly, giving her a wink, "And you'd reset anyway. I wouldn't want to scare ya."

She stared at him, a little pale, giving a nervous laugh, "Heh...heh...too late for that."

Alright, Serif almost felt bad for that. He ran a hand over his skull, looking away for a moment, "Yeah. Forget I said anything." He replied, "You look bone tired, Sugar. And I'd know a thing or two about that," he grinned.

She groaned, "That was awful," she sighed, "I told Andra I'd hang around."

Gaster pinched the bridge of his nose,  **"I can see in her mind that you're rather protective, but you don't have to worry. If anything happens to her, it could disrupt my work. She'll be fine, here."**

She paused, crossing her arms, "I'll be fine," she moved to the other seat.

 **"If you say so. But it is _not_ my job to entertain you," **he told her firmly, looking at her over the glasses, before looking at Serif,  **"Where do you two keep my old notes? I have some corrections to make that have been bothering me since I fell into the Core."**

"Third drawer." Serif also directed him toward a few other things, before giving an exaggerated yawn, and letting them know he was heading to bed. He promptly disappeared from the room leaving the scent of ozone hanging in the air.

Gaster nodded, moving across the room to retrieve the papers, in long strides, absently using a purple glow of magic to retrieve a pencil from the table, as well as a fresh sheet of paper, the pencil going straight into his waiting left hand as he leaned on a counter to scribble some additional notes down, the opposite the one Andra normally wrote with.

There was a crinkling sound as Kathy dug in her pockets for another sucker, tearing off the wrapper, before popping it into her mouth, "You know, G," she said around it after a few seconds, causing the other to sigh, but otherwise not look up, "I'm protective of her, because she's been through enough. And I don't really like that she's taken on so much by helping you. But it's in her nature to do everything she can to help, so I am too."

He glanced up for a moment, glasses slid down to the tip of his nose,  **"I am well aware of what she has been through, Katherine."** He said seriously,  **"If you're really serious about helping, how about looking for my other research notes? They seem to be scattered about. They'll all have handwriting like this."** He gestured for her to come over to him.

She hesitated, "Alright then...but don't you dare call me Katherine again, or I'm gonna start calling you father," she threatened, moving to glance at the paperwork, not sure if she'd be able to discern different handwriting...until she saw his, "You write in  _wingdings?"_ She asked with a delighted cackle.

He pursed his lips,  **"Yes. So you should have no trouble going through every drawer, cabinet, and closet and bringing me my notes in an orderly pile here. Alphabetically, if you please."**

She frowned, "What? That's not fair! I can't read wingdings!"

He sighed, grabbing a fresh sheet of paper and scribbling down a quick cipher of capital wingdings letters,  **"There. Now if you really wished to be helpful,"** he paused,  **"I do appreciate it...Kathy."**

She smirked, "Ha! I knew that threat would work," she replied, moving to start going through the drawers.

* * *

By the time 7:40am had rolled around, there were several neat piles of paperwork by letter in front of Gaster, though the work was hardly done. He'd been a genius of unparalleled intellect in life, and he'd added several more pages to several of the subjects, more than once jumping to a different letter and having Kathy start looking for those papers in the pile.

The girl had fallen asleep at the other counter somewhere around 6, slouched over with a sucker resting on the cipher, a couple inches from her mouth. 

He hadn't bothered to wake her, finding the quiet a relief, after the constant random noises and dancing and...okay, it wasn't that bad. In fact the quiet made him think too much, but he had grown used to the Void. He just...had never quite appreciated the value of a cacophony before.

It was nearly noon before Serif and Comic appeared in the lab.


	11. 103 and Sugar's Burning

"Run that by me one more time." Comic asked, more than a little annoyed that he had woken to not only find the bed beside him empty, but his twin brother leaning against the nearby wall, smirking his tailbone off.

"Dad is back," Serif replied with a shrug, "Sort of."

Comic sat up, dark green blankets draped over his legs. There were a few magic-based marks that Andra had managed to leave on him the previous night crawling up the side of the vertebrae of his neck, though they had been accidental to be sure, a bit fainter than the ones he'd left on her, even if they were still visible. He closed his eye sockets for a moment, sighing, "See, that's where you're losin' me. That ain't possible. And if it is, 'sort of' only makes it more dangerous."

"Well, he hitched a ride with one of our newcomers."

The taller twin tensed noticeably, opening his sockets though they were still pitch black, "Which one?" He asked, biting off both words.

"Well, let's just say, you woke the  _whole_ family last night, bro," he replied.

He'd have felt sick if he had a stomach, "How'd he manage it? What d'we know?"

"Something about a contract. I didn't ask about the details on that. I was more concerned with the effects of him getting entangled with he timeline."

Comic clenched his jaw, "A contract?" He asked slowly.

"Yeah. Old man mentioned that she signed a contract."

He clenched his hands into fists, his knuckles crackling unconsciously with magic, "Does he have any idea what kinda risk he's puttin' her at?" He snapped, "The kinda risk he's puttin' the entire _multiverse_ at try'na come back?"

Serif rose a brow bone, "Some. You remember something I don't?" He didn't bring up the fact that his brother had been worried for his new girlfriend before the rest of the multiverse.

"About as much as you remember that I don't."

Both sighed at that.

Comic was quiet for a few moments, "Where is she?"

His brother gave him a smirk, "You marked her. Don't bullshit me."

* * *

 

 **"You had something to say to me."** Gaster said to the taller of the twins after a few moments of silence.

"Nah, I was just here to stare at ya," he replied, shoving his hands into his pockets, taking a shortcut from where he stood to directly in front of his father, "Do you have any idea how fucking stupid you are, for a genius?"

He adjusted his glasses,  **"I have no idea what you're talking about Comic. Is there a point to this outburst?"** He asked, like someone dealing with a child throwing a tantrum. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep in days. Which was truer than it wasn't. Even if he had only been in control for a night.

Comic was fighting himself, conflicting instincts raging. He wanted to knock his father back into the Void, and keep the man from interfering in the timeline anymore--he'd endangered everyone by coming back. But he couldn't hurt Andra. Welp...not without her consent, anyway, and that was completely different. He looked the other in the eye. One good thing that came of his dad being in a borrowed body, even if he  _really_ didn't approve of the choice of host, now he didn't have to look up at him. He thought it through for a moment, "I'm assuming you've thought through the consequences of this?" He asked with barely contained temper, "Or are you just gonna drag us all into the Void with you? Or _worse_?"

 **"I am fully aware of the consequences if this plan fails,"** he replied, leaning tiredly against the counter,  **"However, it will not fail, so the point is moot."**

"Yeah, you say that, but your curiosity is what killed ya. I don't need you dragging her along with you the next time a side project proves to be too interesting to resist."

**"I'm hardly dead."**

"Oh, yeah, just body-less, soulless, and leeching off Andra like some kinda parasite. Does _she_ know what could happen to her or everyone else if this fucks up?"

Gaster had to keep his own temper in check. It seemed much easier within the, frankly, exhausted body, and he did well enough keeping a cool head, but his own sense of territoriality was trying to act up, though he knew he logically had no right to it. Agh...he'd have to speak with the little mage about this, later on. They needed to discuss it calmly,  **"I saw no reason to increase her already significant anxiety. She is aware that the stakes are rather high, but not of specifics. I saw no reason to inform her."**

"She has a right to know that she's risking her own life, and sanity," he argued, wondering if a magic attack would hit his father, without harming her. Their soul connection was unnatural and strange, so it was hard to tell.

**"She would be risking her sanity in knowi--"**

"Yo, can we cool it for a moment? Sugar here is burning up," Serif said from beside Kathy, who was still passed out at the work station, skin flushed with fever, even as she shivered with cold. He shifted to pick her up and she curled against him, trying to cling to any warmth she could, even if just the slight spark of heat coming from his magic, "How long has she been out?"

Gaster frowned,  **"Around...ah...well, I didn't see the time. Six or so hours ago, I believe? Take her to one of the cots. I'll look her over."**

Comic clenched his teeth, "Don't think you've gotten out of this conversation." He told him, before sighing heavily, forcing himself to calm down. He needed to talk to Andra when this was all over.

Serif walked to the other room, not wanting to stress the sick woman more than necessary by teleporting, especially when he didn't know what the issue was, "If she fell asleep six hours ago, why didn't you move her to a bed then?" He demanded as he walked, unable and unwilling to hide his annoyance.

The elder scientist couldn't help a small smile at that. There had been a time when neither would have dared to stand up to him, defiant as they both could be when they put their minds to it. They had certainly grown up. Even under his conflicting emotions, he could feel a swell of pride-- _damn,_ was it good to feel again,  **"I didn't wish to disturb her,"** he replied simply.

The shorter twin used his magic to pull back the thin blanket on the cot, lying her down carefully, hating the shiver that immediately went through her at the cool sheets. Once she was covered by the few blankets the room had, he stepped aside, watching his father carefully as he stepped forward to examine her, while Comic leaned on the doorframe almost sulking.

G leaned down, placing a hand on the brunette's forehead, a little surprised at how warm she actually was. The girl was good at hiding her distress, apparently. She couldn't have been feeling entirely well while she had been working. He would have to speak with her about being more responsible for herself...if that didn't lead to her threatening to call him her father again. 

He released a soft green magic into her, keeping his primary magic held back as he remembered the effect it had had on the little mage in their dream world. He didn't need to add any more confusion to this whole mess than there already was by giving the human a completely different kind of heat. Assuming it even worked that way for her. He hated assuming anything, but his scientific curiosity was not great enough to test this theory.

The doctor reserved the healing magic for simple diagnoses, also looking her over physically, taking her pulse, and listening to her breathing. He could hear the scratching in her lungs as she breathed, breaths uneven and shivering making her teeth chatter in her exhausted sleep. He reached deeper with the magic, feeling the obstructions in her lungs, the aches in her body, and chill of the air around her. Her fever was somewhere around 103°F, a dangerous level for humans.

Gaster released a more concentrated dose of healing magic into the girl, but kept it brief, not wanting to overdo it, before pulling away,  **"Her body is in shock from the sudden introduction of magic. In addition, she is exhausted, and I believe she may have pneumonia. We may need to get some antibiotics for her. Magic can only help her so much, with her condition as it is. I gave her some healing magic to see how it affects her, and will keep an eye-s...er...an eye on her. If it helps, I'll continue to administer it in small doses, however, if her condition worsens, we'll need human medicine."**

Serif exchanged a glance with Comic, "I don't think that's gonna be possible."

 **"I was afraid not. But perhaps Queen Toriel might know of some healing herbs and such that grow in the ruins."** He sighed.

Comic didn't look surprised at the mention of Toriel being queen, but, Serif froze, "Uh...what'd you say, old man?"

He rose an eyebrow,  **"I see your twin is the one who retained those memories. I've been wanting to ask you two about that since my arrival in this timeline."**

"Forget that for a sec--I made a promise to the goddamn Queen of Monsters?" The shorter skeleton demanded, moving to Kathy's side without realising he was doing it.

His twin almost laughed, "Yeah, I'd'a brought that up, but I don't like givin' away the punchline." his humour faded, and he looked at their father, falling silent.

G fell quiet as well, taking out the nearly-dead mobile phone in his pocket and checking the time, before looking at Comic, **"I suppose you'll wish to speak with Andra about this. I'm aware I won't get to speak with her in private until she falls asleep this evening."**

He flinched at that, not liking the way that sounded, "If you wouldn't mind." He managed an almost civil tone.

The other nodded, moving to sit on the edge of the other cot,  **"Call if you need me,"** he told them, before closing his eyes and retreating, leaving the body briefly empty to retrieve Andra.

The magic scars faded first, colour slowly coming back to her skin, though she was still paler than she had been before going into the Void, even if she had been sleeping through it this time. It made the bruises and bites left behind by Comic stand out more, even as the magic he'd marked her with was dragged to the surface as well, giving them a light, bluish glow in the dim lighting of the room. She opened her eyes before the puppet-like body could collapse, gasping for breath, as if she'd forgotten how air worked.

The taller of the twins was by her side in a flash, rubbing her back gently, not sure what else to do as she panted desperately, "Fu-fuck...I...ah...s-sorry," she stammered, trying to blink her vision clear. Sleeping in the Void was  _anything_ but restful, even if it meant her soul didn't try to split apart, "What...how long...w-was I...out?"

"Well, I'm not sure exactly," Comic answered, unable to hide some annoyance, "Did you let my dad take the strings before or after you left my room last night?"

She stiffened, remembering the previous drunken evening, though it felt like a hundred years ago, by now. How had he found out? Had he walked in while Gaster was in the lab? Had he...said...his dad?

She turned to stare at him, "Did you say that G was your dad?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter lovelies! ~<3 The suspense here was too good to pass up. But I'm already writing the next! Stay tuned! And don't forget to check out our Tumblr, at http://fallingforadeal.tumblr.com/


	12. Hot and Cold

A pit seemed to open up in Andra's stomach. Gaster was Comic's dad.

She had let herself be almost-fucked by Comic's dad.

Admittedly, she hadn't known the skeleton yet, but the point still remained.

"Well yeah, he's my dad," the skeleton beside her replied, his fingers curling where they were against her back, digging a little through her shirt and making her shiver, "Y'know, ya have to be pretty screwed up to've fucked me with him living right there in your head."

She blushed darkly, glaring at him but not moving away, still too lightheaded to move, "Wow, that's such a turn-on, Com," she said, tone sarcastic, "I didn't know he was your dad."

He rose a brow-bone, "Even if that's the case, you still have someone sharing a body and soul with you. When were you gonna tell me this?"

She frowned at him, still flushed, "Frankly, that's none of your business," she replied, "You and I had sex, Comic. That's it. And it's not any of G's concern who I fuck either. When I'm controlling this body, it's mine. When he has it's his. As far as I'm concerned, he can do what he wants with it then, too."

Serif glanced over at them from where he was sitting on Kathy's bedside, across the room, giving Andra a warning look, a few seconds too late.

The taller twin narrowed his eye-sockets, before looking away from her, "He really didn't tell ya?" He asked, not wanting to think about what she had said. Just sex.  _Just_ sex. Well, it had been sex. He hadn't wanted to make any major commitments while she was drunk off her ass, but it didn't mean it  _just_ sex.

She stared at him. He was seething. Part of her wanted to comfort him, but another part wanted to tell him to man up. And yet another part wanted to jump his bones. Never mind the fact that there were others in the room, and who knew if Gaster was watching or not. Maybe she _was_ an exhibitionist. She forced herself to answer his question, "No, he didn't. Maybe he just didn't think of it."

"Yeah, _riiigghht._ Ya trust people too easy, Sweetheart." And apparently so did he.

She flushed, "And should I have trusted you last night?"

He looked her over, eyelights pausing on the bruises he'd left, suppressing a smirk of satisfaction, "Have ya looked in a mirror? Prob'ly not."

Her skin turned a darker shade of pink, and she reached up to touch one of the bruised bite marks, pressing her fingers hard enough against it to turn the skin briefly white, shivering lightly at the feeling, eyes closed for a moment, heart pounding before she looked at him again, "You'll have to do better than that to shake my trust, no matter how I think of you, Com. I  _like_ the pain. And I like the fact that there are marks people can see even more." She couldn't tell him what she had done with Gaster. Anyway...it wasn't going to happen, again. Now with Comic...she could almost guarantee she couldn't resist, but maybe that was because she was sitting right next to him, and the way he was looking at her was making her squirm where she sat, and...gods, were they being stared at? Nerves just amped everything up more, setting her senses on high. Maybe she should throw something at Serif. But she didn't care enough.

He did smirk now, "Damn, you really do have problems," he replied, meeting her eyes.

"Tell me about it," she said, biting her lip, "I mean, I jumped into something as rough as last night for my first time. I must be mental."

The skeleton tensed, and he was close enough now that she noticed, though her mind had conveniently skipped over getting closer together. He grabbed her, forcing her to turn and look at him, "What the hell'd ya just say?"

She paled a little, "U-um...last night was...pretty rough...for my first time, probably? I guess I'm kinda crazy." She gave a nervous laugh, but it died in her throat.

He took a shortcut out of the lab.

Andra wasn't sure where they were. There was a luminescent blue flower in the room, and a gently flowing stream nearby. Instead of sitting on a bed, they were on a bench. It was a little bit of a small space for her, but the ceiling was high, and encrusted with stones, so she assumed they were "outside." It was humid in this area, and she was actually feeling comfortable in the tank-top, "Um...why are we here, Com?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were a virgin?" His voice was more gentle.

She blushed, crossing her arms, "I didn't think it mattered," she replied, hiding behind a few multicoloured strands of hair.

"'Course it matters."

She pursed her lips, "No. It doesn't. And if I'd told you, what would have changed?" She looked at him through her hair.

He started to speak, before pausing, then trying again, "I'd'a been a bit more patient or..."

"You'd have gone easy on me," she finished for him, "Problem is, I didn't want easy. I've been having a really tough few days, and last night was the first time I was able to relax since I got here, so...thanks for that." She took off her glasses, cleaning them on her shirt and avoiding looking at him, "Anyway...I won."

He rose a brow at the sudden change of subject, tilting his head slightly, "Huh?"

"The challenge," her golden eyes glittered, "You didn't break me."

He blinked audibly, with an odd sound of bone touching bone, before smirking slowly, "Heh. Ya didn't gimme a time limit, _Sweetheart_ ," he replied, shifting to watch the flowing water.

Andra did the same, toes wiggling slightly inside her boots as she tried to get some feeling into them. Ugh. She hated wearing shoes. And her feet were killing her, so G probably hadn't sat down for more than an hour. She absently shifted to lean her head on Comic's bony shoulder, the skeleton wrapping his arm around her after a moment and pulling her closer. The thick hoodie he wore made it more comfortable than it would have been otherwise.

He could have created any body parts he wanted with magic, but it was a waste of energy. A tongue was practical, and frankly, could be fun, so he usually kept one of those, same with the eye-lights. And when things got really fun, his magic would do its thing to make his partner comfortable. Monsters were made of magic. They could change anything about themselves with enough willpower. He had just enough self confidence and laziness not to feel any need to change anything major about himself. It just helped a bit more that she seemed so chill with it. He knew humans could find it pretty hard to find a skeleton attractive. She wasn't human, but he'd still expected her to have their cultural biases. 

Comic sighed. Why was he thinking about this? Hadn't they just been arguing? He still wanted to be annoyed, dammit, but it took too much energy.

She closed her eyes, shivering lightly when his hand played through her hair, and she nuzzled into his neck, "I'm sorry," she said softly, resting her hand on his femur through his pants.

He shifted a little, the scent of her shampoo and the sterile smell of the lab clinging to her hair, mixing with a scent that was entirely her, and...intoxicating.... He buried his face against her head, continuing to play with her rainbow locks with one hand, "What for?" He asked, distracted.

"I didn't mean to upset you. I just...didn't know how to bring up the subject...if it helps...I think he's giving us privacy." Why was it so easy to be comfortable with him? She didn't even have the excuse of alcohol. The only intoxicant she could think of was the skeleton currently massaging her scalp with the tips of his bony fingers, making it easier to speak calmly, and infinitely harder to think.

"Ya still on about that Sweetheart?" He asked, opening an eye to look at her, tilting his head slightly.

She shifted a little so she could look up at him without pulling away, "You can't be over it that quick."

"I don't hold grudges without a good reason," he replied, shrugging and pulling her a little closer, "And I'm more mad at him than you, anyway."

She hummed a low response, tracing the shape of his ribs through his shirt, under his open sweater.

"One thing was bothering me, though," he said after a few minutes of quiet.

"Hm?"

"Somethin' else seems kinda strange with you guys. Not just the contract, and all that. I mean, that's not to say this happens in every timeline. This is the first I remember of it."

She tried to stay relaxed, but was afraid Comic might notice her tensing slightly, "What is it?"

"I dunno. I don't like the way the old man was talkin' about ya," he replied, "Did he explain the contract?"

"A bit. He said the timelines were unstable. That I could help him anchor here. I've always been the type to help others. I don't know much about that stuff, but the way he explained it made sense," she replied, trailing her nails over his ribs, "I don't really wanna talk about it, honestly. I just...wanted to make sure you were okay with all of this."

"I thought it was none'a my business?"

 The redhead sighed, kissing his vertebrae where she noticed a dim blue and purple glow. Satisfaction rippled through her that she had managed to leave a mark on him. She wasn't sure how she'd done it, but she instinctively recognised her own magic. She shifted, moving to drape one leg over his lap, straddling him on the bench, one hand braced on the back of it to hold her in place, the other still playing over his ribs, "The details are still mine to work out...we're not...close enough yet. But I would love the opportunity to get closer...." She breathed, running the tip of her tongue over the smooth bone, enjoying the unusual texture. 

His phalanges tightened in her hair, and he pulled her head back a little roughly so he could meet her eyes, "You sure about this, Sweetheart?" He asked, a slight blue tinge of magic spreading across his cheekbones, a little surprised after her earlier demeanour.

She blushed, "I said it was just sex, but...I...was just freaking out. I mean..." Her eyes flicked away a moment, and she took a deep breath. She could feel his discontent until she looked at him again, "Like I said...last night was my first time. I...still don't know how I'm supposed to feel about it. I was drunk, and you were...fantastic..." A darker blush spread across her pale skin.

He almost chuckled, "Fantastic, huh? You got some pretty low standards, there." His fingers loosened in her hair, and he turned his head away slightly.

The self depreciation wasn't lost on her, and she recognised him trying to push her away, insulting her tastes, even as one hand rested lazily on her hip, drawing absent-minded circles over the denim.

She brought her right hand up to turn his head toward her again, leaning down to kiss his teeth, paying closer attention to how it even worked, now that she was sober enough to do so.

Magic crackled against her lips, and she parted them as the skeleton beneath her kissed her back, running her tongue over his parting teeth and keeping control of the kiss. She was going to win this argument. This style of confrontation was far less panic inducing, and she was feeling confident she could handle this, despite her inexperience.

A low groan vibrated through his bones, and his hands tightened again, the one in her hair pulling her into a more bruising kiss, the one on her hip shifting to her waist to pull her closer. His tongue slipped into her mouth, battling hers for dominance, and before long, she gave a soft moan of defeat, giving in to him and allowing him control.

When the kiss broke, she smirked lightly, panting softly for breath, "See? Too fantastic for me to keep up with," she replied, prompting a surprised chuckle from the other as he brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Alright, alright. You win. I'm pretty Sanstastic," he replied with a grin, using the part of his name he'd first introduced himself with.

She giggled, resting her forehead against his, and caressing the juncture between his mandible and temporal bone,  "Seriously, though, Comic...I...I don't know if this is just...me getting attached because I'm being naive, or whatever, but...I really want to give it a try. I mean...us? If you want there to be an us, I mean." She paused, her heart racing in the brief silence, which she immediately spoke up to fill, "Or we can just keep being...whatever we were last night."

* * *

 

Kathy coughed, the sound rattling in her chest and making Serif cringe as he wondered how the human had managed to hide being so sick. Unless the magic had just made it come on quicker? It was a possibility, but he wasn't much of an expert on human exposure to magic. Not enough pacifist timelines that had given him the time to study.

He pulled her tighter against him wrapping the blankets more snugly around her, along with any extra lab-coats the lab had had on hand, "Don't worry, Sugar. It'll only be cold for a sec, alright? I'm gonna get you inside the house. It's warmer in there, and Paps can help take care of ya."

The small woman was deathly pale, shivering violently, and curled up as he carried her through the lab, "S-Se-Serif..." she stammered, "Where's...A-Andra?"

He sighed, using his magic to open the door, "She's with Comic," he replied, "They uh...needed to have a talk."

She smiled against his chest, mumbling something incoherent.

"Hm? What was that?"

"....cute together...."

He blinked lightly, smiling lightly and giving a low chuckle, "I'll be sure to let them know ya said so, Sugar," he replied, opening the second door with his magic, as the first shut. The cold air hit them, sending another cold breeze straight through them, making Kathy shake uncontrollably in his arms. If she weren't possibly sensitive to magic, he'd just teleport them...but he really didn't want to take chances.

Once they were inside, Serif set her on the couch, smoothing her hair back and flinching at the heat coming off her skin, even after coming in from the chill.  Papyrus would be home in an hour or so. All he could do in the meantime was try and get her situated.

"Ya need anything?" He asked her, not liking how violently she was shivering. It looked painful.

It  _was_ painful. The brunette could almost cry. Everything hurt, and every shiver seemed to knock something in her lungs loose, which led to another round of coughing, which brought more tense and painful shivering. She just wished she could relax long enough to sleep, but she couldn't even do that. At his question, she just groaned, trying to pull the blankets around herself tighter, still too cold.

Serif hesitated, not sure what he could do to help, before he shifted her gently, moving onto the couch and pulling her up so she lay against him, releasing a small amount of his own healing magic into her. He wasn't good at it, but he'd learned enough to heal Papyrus when he came home with a scraped kneecap, or humerus. Maybe the less intense magic would help. If it didn't help...she'd reset, at worst, right? Well...he didn't want to break his promise, but he was trying to help, and anyway, he was pretty sure this would...probably work.

He shifted her to make sure she would be comfortable, assuming the woman was simply too delirious from her fever to argue as the blankets settled over them both, his arm wrapped protectively around her to keep her from falling off the couch, as her shivers slowly began to settle.

By the time Papyrus walked in the door, Serif had fallen asleep with the sick human draped over top of him, both snoring softly.

The tall skeleton smiled, shutting the door more quietly than usual behind him, moving into the kitchen to begin making his special get-well-soup for the human.

_"Nyeh~heh~heh."_


	13. Quiet and Crowded

* * *

**nothing**

_Gaster closed his eyes against the endless press of_ **everything.**

_The Void had been so_ **very** _interesting, in the beginning. A mind boggling contradiction, of fantastic proportions. Every new microsecond had given him some new epiphany. Some new look into the functioning of the multiverse._

_He'd been given true omnipotence, and he had wielded it with precision, even as he crumbled to dust under the pressure._

_But being dust no longer mattered. Or so he'd thought. He had never thought...the desire...the need would come back to him...to **feel** again. To see his sons, face to face, not as some  **abomination,** but as himself. He never thought their lives might depend on it. That something even stronger than him could be forming in the Void, as well. Right under his perception, sneaking through the  between nothing and something. _

_He didn't want to admit that there were some things even **he** did not understand._

_But he had a plan. He would make it back. There was a way. A mage, untrained in her powers, living in an already unstable timeline. Should that world collapse...it shouldn't be supporting any others of importance. But it was strong enough that it would gain him the foothold he needed. He_ **would** _exist again._

_He would see his boys again. Even if they hated him. Or if they had to forget him._

* * *

**It's** ~~not~~

_okay_

Time                                                

       is                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                    **not**

                                                                                                                            _linear_

_trust_

* * *

 

 Serif woke to an oppressive heat pressed against his bones, and it took a few seconds for him to remember passing out on the couch in exhaustion, the sick human snuggled against his sternum. He brushed his phalanges through her dark, slightly damp hair, realising her skin was slightly cooler, and sighing in relief. The remaining heat was clearly due to the large number of blankets piled on top of them both, holding in the warmth from her now broken fever, skin and bone drenched in sweat, not that he really cared, so long as she was okay.

Welp...it didn't mean anything, either way. He was just keeping his promise, after all. His promise...to the queen. Shit. He still had to go see her to see if she had any medicine for Kathy....

The small woman groaned in her sleep, eyebrows knitting together slightly, as she clung to his shirt with both hands, mumbling something unintelligible in her sleep.

The skeleton ran his fingers through her hair, rubbing her back in small circles, "Shh," he said quietly, "S'alright, Sugar. I'm right here."

She slowly calmed, nuzzling closer to him, and relaxing again, "Mmm...thanks...Alex...." She mumbled, before she began snoring again.

He tensed. _Alex?_ Who the hell was Alex?

 

_"Hey, uh...I had a favour to ask ya. If you don't mind?"_

_She blinked slowly, pausing a moment, and glancing the way Andra had gone, before looking back at the monster holding her hand. **The ring her boyfriend had given her caught the twinkling light from the sparkling stones above them,** "Uh...sure, I guess? What sort of favour?"_

 

 

Serif clenched his jaw. Who else's name would she be groaning in her sleep? She had a boyfriend, obviously. Probably some stupid ass human who didn't know chemistry from quadratic functions. Not that it was any of his concern. He was just taking care of her while she was sick--and even if he  _did_ care, a small, smug part of him pointed out that she wouldn't be seeing him again, unless she could somehow steal the soul of a boss monster to do it, and Sugar was _way_ too nice for her own good. 

 Heh.

He hoped she didn't get herself killed again.

The skeleton watched her for a moment, before glancing at the ring on her finger, noticing it again, now that it was on his mind. Eh. She'd be fine without him for a bit.

He took a shortcut out from underneath her, knowing Papyrus was right in the kitchen if the sudden drop and panic woke her. Yeah, it'd probably been a dick move, but he had agreed to keep her safe, not to be nice to her, right? And besides, it wasn't like he was her boyfriend or anything. Ugh. His magic felt unsettled at the base of his ribs, but he shoved the feeling aside, changing into something that wasn't damp with sweat.

Kathy jerked awake, going into a coughing fit as the sudden impact with the couch knocked a few things loose in her lungs.

Papyrus came into the living room, "Human!" He called, moving closer and leaning down to check her temperature, "Are you alright?" he asked, a little softer as her coughing quieted.

She opened her eyes, leaning on her elbows and beginning to shiver a little again as cool air hit her sweat soaked clothing, "Y-yeah..." she went into another violent coughing fit, prompting Papyrus to pat her on the back.

It took several minutes before she was able to sit up, re-wrapped in the blankets in a more comfortable position. He brought her water, and a small bowl of soup, that was probably too heavy for her to keep down, though she made an honest attempt, before pushing it away.

A few minutes more, and Serif was teleporting to the door.

He lifted a hand to knock like he had countless times before, "Knock, knock."

 There was silence for a moment, before he heard a small laugh from the other side of the door, "Who's there?"

He hesitated, "Snow."

"Snow who?"

"Snow use. I can't remember my name."

The woman laughed loudly from the other side of the door, and it took several moments for her to calm.

"Knock knock," he said again, a little more confidently this time, not giving her a chance to finish laughing completely.

She chuckled, "Wh-who's there?"

"Scold."

"Scold who?"

"Scold outside..." he paused, "Will you let me in?"

The laugh quieted, and for a few minutes, he thought she was gone. He was just about to leave, when the door opened.

He looked up at the taller monster, "Heh. Hey there, Toriel."

"Serif...are you okay?" She asked, looking around the snowy area for a moment, then back to the skeleton monster. They'd never met face to face, but there was something familiar about him, "You never call me Toriel."

He shot her a grin, "Ah, yeah. I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind."

He walked in as she held open the door for him, following her as she led the way into her home in the ruins.

"So, did you wish to tell me what's on your mind?" She asked him once they were settled.

"That human ya had through here. Kathy...she's uh...sick. Like, really sick. And healing magic isn't helping much. We think it might be too much for her, right now. I was wonderin' if you had any healing herbs or maybe some human medicine that might help? We're thinking pneumonia."

Toriel thought about it, before slowly shaking her head, "I can see what I can find in the ruins, but most of the herbs that grow in the area can't really treat that illness. How can you be sure healing magic isn't working?"

"She ain't gettin' any better," he pointed out.

She smiled gently, patting his hand lightly, "She'll be alright, Serif. Just keep giving her healing magic in small doses," she said, even as worry flashed through her eyes, "Now are you going to tell me what else is bothering you?"

They spoke for several hours.

 


	14. Dust and Danger

For the next week, Kathy was too weak to do much of anything on her own.

While the twins helped keep her hydrated, and entertained--Serif occasionally going a little further and snuggling with her to give her more healing magic, but only because it seemed to be helping speed things along. She hadn't said that other name again, but it still felt fresh in his mind...not that it really mattered, all things considered.

Andra and Papyrus helped her bathe, Paps a little awkwardly, asking some embarrassing questions here and there, but mostly not overstepping any bounds. Once, even Gaster had gotten roped into it, when no one else had been available, and she was in desperate need of a bath, with the concession that he'd had to wear a blindfold, and simply offer a hand when asked. 

Kathy was feeling better, but not well by the week's end, able to sit up on her own, and stay awake longer than an hour, but still too sick to do much of anything.

Oddly, despite her usually crappy immune system, Andra hadn't begun to show any symptoms, seeming to be in perfect health as she shrugged her jacket on, "Do you need anything else from the shop?" She asked her friend, who was nursing a cup of tea with honey.

"More cinnamon cough drops?" She asked.

She nodded, "Yeah, I'll see if Cin has some more made," she replied, not bothering to zip up her jacket before she headed outside. As she spent more time in Snowdin, she got more used to the cold. It was actually really nice. She probably didn't even need the jacket.

The young woman started walking toward the other end of town, waving here and there. She was starting to get a little stir crazy, honestly. The place was nice, but it was the same thing every day. She was on her way back from the shop when she spotted an armoured figure near the door. She frowned, moving a little more quickly as the figure grabbed for the door handle.

Uh...when were Paps and the twins even going to be home? Shit. She didn't know this monster. What was she supposed to do?

 _ **That's Undyne,**_ Gaster spoke up inside her head, having felt her distress and tuned back in,  _ **She's captain of the Royal Guard. Last I heard they had some interest in human souls, but I'll be honest, I haven't kept up on the current policies of this iteration of the universe...**_

_Well you're helpful as always._

**_Sarcasm doesn't suit you, little mage. Now what do you think you're doing?_** He demanded as she began storming toward the house.

_If she might want Kathy's soul, do you really think I'm going to just fucking stand aside and wait for the others? I don't care if she can reset. I can't do nothing. I won't let her die again._

**_Andra,_** he said in a warning tone,  _ **Don't do this.**_

She ignored him, going into the house just a minute after Undyne had.

The other woman was standing there, with a glowing blue spear in one hand, helmet tossed aside, looking somewhat confused as she looked over her armour clad shoulder at the new arrival, "Now who the hell are you?" She demanded.

Kathy's soul was hovering a few inches above her, and her eyes were wide. The previously vibrant green was a little faded with her illness.

"I don't think that matters," Andra replied, golden eyes narrowed, "What are you doing to my friend?"

The fish woman turned to face her properly, "You're friends with this human?" She eyed her with her one good eye.

"Yeah. Now I answered your question. You answer mine. What are you doing?"

Undyne stuck out her lower jaw slightly in what could be called a pout on anyone less...toothy,   
"She's not even _trying_ to put up a fight."

"No offence, Ariel, but we don't even know who you are." Andra told her. It was a half truth. She knew the name now, but that didn't mean she had to use it. Her magic flared around her without her realising it.

"What're you doing in the skeletons' house?" She demanded, still keeping some hold over Kathy's soul.

"They're letting us crash with them. Now I'm not answering one more question until you, put. Her. Soul. Back." She said, each word carefully clipped, her eyes darkening behind her glasses.

Undyne smirked, "Are you challenging me?"

"I just said I won't answer more questions." She tossed the grocery bag on the couch.

The taller put the soul back into Kathy, causing the young woman to gasp for breath, clutching her chest and going into a coughing fit, "W-wa--" she coughed up something unpleasant into a tissue, trying to catch her breath, "Wait, don't...."

"Get some rest, Kathy. I'll deal with this."

"Finally, some action," the other woman readied her spear.

Andra could almost grin at her reaction, if she weren't pissed that the woman had been about to walk off with her friend's soul. Raw magic flared, and she acted on instinct, while Kathy dug around in the couch for her phone, to no avail.

The fight was predictable for the most part, with Undyne attacking and Andra defending. At least until one of the spears came at the redhead from a new angle. She deflected it, the attack flying directly toward her friend. Andra's eyes widened, and she tried to stop the spear with her magic, but she didn't move on time. It pierced the other's shoulder, pinning her to the couch with an ear-shattering scream.

To Undyne's credit, she actually looked horrified at the accident...but Andra was beyond seeing that. In fact, she couldn't see anything at all. 

Kathy was hurt. 

Her magic flared brighter, her vision going white. Purple and blue crackled along her skin, plunging the room into a strange glow. The magic formed into cracks, her eyes glowing in mismatched colour. She shouted something, but her voice was incomprehensible.

Undyne actually took a step back, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Her good eye widened.

A more vibrant crack split her cheek and shoulder, the magic colours swirling underneath her skin as she took the monster's soul in the grip of her power, _"Give me one reason,"_ her voice was distorted. She was still blind to her surroundings, seeing only the souls in the room, _"I shouldn't kill you for hurting her."_

"It was an accident, you crazy fucking mage!"

 _"Not **good enough,**_ " she growled, her magic flaring. It burned.

"Sweetheart!"

"Undyne, what happened?"

"She just flipped out!"

"Andra, you've gotta stop!"

"Get Sugar outta here--we'll deal with her--"

"No! What's happening to h--"

The sound went steadily more staticky. She couldn't think anymore. She couldn't breathe. Her lungs were on fire. She was disintegrating under the pressure of her own magic.

_"--to dust--"_

"How's... _ossible?"_

"--uch magic."

"Get aw...m her!"

Then there was silence.

* * *

  _The Void was in turmoil._

_Gaster was anything but calm. His mask-like face was contorted with annoyance._

_Andra flinched as she became more aware of where she was, looking down at herself for a moment. What the hell? What had she done?_

_Even here she felt like she was going to split apart. Her ethereal form was cut in a hundred places._

_The other figure loomed over her, **"What did you think you were accomplishing in being so reckless?"** He demanded._

_"K-Kathy was hurt...." She replied, hugging herself._

**_"Kathy can reset--you_  can't,"**  _he growled in clear frustration, before he calmed just slightly, and pulled her to her feet. The fingers of one hand traced over her cheek, another over her opposite collar bone, where her magic glowed through cuts that seemed deeper than the the normal ones littering her elsewhere. Being a mage, they were different than his own, but the cause was all the same. Too much magic use, too quickly, with too little control, **"You've gone and hurt yourself again."** He sighed._

_She flinched, looking down, "Gaster...I'll be fine..."_

**_"Allow me to clarify--you've gone and_  killed  _yourself. And if I don't heal you before Kathy resets, there could be more than a few scars worth of permanent damage,"_** _he told her firmly._

_"But...I thought resetting would just put me back to her last save point?"_

**_"We can discuss this another time, Andra."_ ** _He released a heated wave of magic into her, drawing a gasp from her._

_"G, what are you doing?"_

**_"Healing is faster if I don't filter my magic,"_ ** _he told her firmly, **"You can take my help, or you can keep taking foolish risks."**_

_Another pulse of magic rippled through her, and her concentration began to splinter, "T-time...moves differently here," she stammered, trying to cling to clarity._

**_"Your_ _point?"_ ** _He asked, sending another pulse of healing magic into her body, laced with his own darker magic. He'd been more than patient this last week. He had been rather ready to snap, himself--undoubtedly an effect of the young woman's impulsivity. It didn't help that every time she showed up, she was covered in another male's magic. He didn't care who it belonged to at this point. Only that it wasn't **his.** He was beyond reason. _

 _"S-so...you've got time...to f-filter...your...magic...." She managed through clenched teeth._  

_**"Yes,"** he replied, tilting her head up  with a firm hand to make her meet his empty eyes,  **"But do you want me to?"** Another pulse of magic ran through her body. His other hands had begun to trail lightly over the cuts and scrapes left by the magically charged spears, leaving sparking trails of deep purple behind, swirling across her skin._

_She couldn't concentrate, dammit...a shiver ran down her spine._

**_"It doesn't sound like a you do little mage,"_ ** _he growled, a hint of territoriality coming to his voice._

_Andra clenched her teeth, trying to think past the magic._

_Comic._

_Gaster paused in his movements at her thought. Conflicting emotions bubbled to the surface. Of course, he loved his son. He wanted only the best for him...and he could certainly attest that the little mage in front of him was...well, it was best he not start making comparisons. He already had an unhealthy attachment to the girl. To the point that he almost didn't care if he left behind a magical mark on her, to show she was his. She **was** his. The contract stated as much. And after the stunt she had pulled, he could hardly be blamed for being unstable. He had to remind her that it wasn't only herself she was risking. It was him. His family. The entire multiverse. Perhaps he  **had** made a mistake in not telling her what was at risk, but then, she should have followed his instruction, without question, regardless._

_His mind was made up._

**_"You'll get back to the boy soon enough."_ ** _His voice had taken on a darker, almost sinister tone, **"It is time I remind you who you belong to."**_

_"I don't belong to anyone," she replied, glaring a him, her own magic flaring now. The cracks on her cheek and chest spread just slightly, "I only signed that contract to help you."_

_His expression was unreadable, **"You don't even belong to my son? Well, thank you for alleviating any guilt I may have felt in this matter,"** he tone sent shivers of fear and something else through her, and she tried to back away from him,  **"Allow me to cleanse you of his magic, if that is how you truly feel, little mage."**_

_The short distance she had managed to put between them was closed, and before she could think, he was kissing her, his magic molten as it filled her, completely shattering what was left of her resolve. It was pain, but greater than that. The sensation was indescribable. The marks that had been left behind burned away, bubbling under her skin like acid as the magics interacted with one another, rejecting each-other, until Comic's was overwhelmed._

_The feeling spread through her, to her soul itself, even as the warm, arousing rush of Gaster's healing magic came along behind, soothing her pains, and filling her with need. Marking her to replace the marks he'd removed._

_As one magic left, and the other filled the gap, she felt simultaneously repulsive, and attractive, needed and despised. The dichotomy of the sensations made her head spin, hands trailing over her, tearing away whatever pretence of modesty she had been allowed._

_For a brief moment, his face seemed to flicker, then she saw him as he had once been. The cracks were there, but he was himself. More expressive. Distinguished. Her heart raced as a possessive smirk came to his features, his clothing seeming to melt away into Void-stuff, one of his hands forcing her to her knees. Two other hands had made their way between her legs, pushing them apart as she kneeled, massaging her inner thighs to the point of distraction._

_His skeletal frame was cracked in several places, and her gaze took its time travelling along the details of his body. He was taller, and lankier than Comic. His extra hands were free-floating, but he most **certainly** had precise control of them. She felt a desire she couldn't explain or control rolling through her, as she moved closer of her own accord, running her hands along his femurs, looking up at him for a moment, as if for approval._

_Instead of words, she got only another pleasant pulse of magic cutting through the pained arousal she had already begun to grow accustomed to, drawing a moan from her and driving her on. She kissed gently along his hip-bone, nipping at his ilium--her mind, or perhaps his, supplied the name for her--her fingers gently tracing along the sensitive, deep purple magic where the articular cartilage would have been, between his femur and hip._

_He gave a deep groan, his fingers tightening in her hair, his magic beginning to grow, as one eye flared with his power._

_She pulled back a little, looking up at him for a moment, then to the hard cock in front of her, knowing what she was expected to do, but not having much experience here. She had her imagination, and the past week with Com, when she hadn't been too busy in the lab or with Kathy...and they hadn't quite done that, yet. And who knew if he'd want her to after Gaster finished with her._

_The magic in his eye flared brighter, **"Who said I would**_ **ever** _**finish with you, little mage?"** _

_The redhead shuddered under his gaze, unable to meet it. Shame spiked through her, even as desire flared stronger, though whether as a result of his power, or herself, she wasn't sure._

**_"You know what you're meant to do,"_ ** _his voice was low, and dangerous. He had absolute power here, and he had allowed her to forget that far too easily. This rebellious streak could not be allowed to continue. But a part of him hoped she continued to disobey. Breaking them had always been a part of the fun hadn't it? Back in the bad old days. Not for sex, of course. For research. But that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy himself **now**._

_She slowly licked her lips, leaning forward slightly, flicking her tongue over the tip of his cock, drawing a shudder from him, another encouraging pulse of pleasurable magic heating her, hands massaging higher as he allowed her to explore him, finding her nervousness simultaneously adorable, and infuriating._

_The girl could be such a wanton little bitch when she wished to be. Perhaps she was simply teasing him, now. Playing innocent to anger him. He wouldn't put it past her. Sure, he could look into her mind, and confirm the truth for himself, but the idea that she was putting on a show, that she was secretly begging for it in her own twisted way, drove him wild._

_As soon as she parted her lips for him, taking the tip of his length into her mouth, he pulled at her hair slightly, prompting her to look up as he sank his length into her mouth and throat. Had this been her physical form, she would have gagged. But she didn't need to breathe, and for the moment, she wasn't even technically alive._ _Even still, a hint of panic came, and she struggled slightly, as he began using her as he wished. More hands came, restricting her movements, not allowing her the freedom she had had mere moments before. One of the teasing hands at her thighs began to play along her swollen lips, drawing a needy groan from her, but not giving her what she desired, silencing her with another deep thrust, making her struggle a little again._ _When she finally stopped struggling against him, allowing him full control over her movements, he rewarded her with the stimulation she craved, making her moan around him lewdly, massaging the underside of his shaft with her tongue._ _The tips of his fingers ran down her back, leaving behind deep purple marks with swirls of green healing magic that made her groan in need, even as the actual injuries healed behind his touch._

_Gaster finally pulled out of her mouth, using his hold on her to pull her hands above her head, her feet leaving what passed for the ground here, as she gasped for breath she didn't need, coughing and flushed. He watched her with a predatory look, admiring the colour as it tinged her pale, slightly glowing skin, **"Are you ready for me, little mage?"** He growled, not really caring, though part of him hoped she begged. He had moved close, even as the hand between her legs had gone back to teasing, her legs forced wide at the ankles and knees, leaving her exposed and vulnerable._

_She blushed, not looking at him, unable to bring herself to make eye-contact with the other. She felt so...fuck...worthless. Like an object. A tool. A slut. A strong surge of arousal rolled through her at the thought, enough to make her moan on its own, causing the scientist to raise a brow._

_**"Are those the kind of thoughts you refuse to share?"** He chuckled darkly, the sound a little distorted,  **"And here I thought those were only your imbalances talking. You really are a filthy whore, aren't you? You like the idea of being claimed by me, knowing that I've burned away the claim of another male."**  
_

_The rainbow-haired woman gulped, feeling her arousal dripping now. She couldn't bring herself to answer._

_A hard smack landed across her ass, causing her cry out, **"Answer me, bitch."**_

_"Yes!" She said quickly, almost desperately, blushing more brightly almost immediately._

**_"Look at me and repeat it."_ **

_Her golden yellow eyes widened, and she slowly raised her eyes, peeking at him through her hair. His glowing eye was intense, and if she hadn't already been dead, she might have passed out from the pressure, "I...I l-like the...idea of being...claimed by you," her voice came out sounding thin, and she was barely holding on, "I like...knowing that you've burned away..." She stopped. She couldn't finish, as she imagined Comic's reaction. As she imagined him claiming her again. Punishing her. A delicious moan escaped her, and she closed her eyes, biting her lip._

_He smirked, not caring at this point, **"I bet you'd like it if we could both take you, wouldn't you? Simultaneously marking you? Forcing you to come with both our magics?"** He let her extremely active imagination fill in the rest._

_The conflicting magics, sparking in her senses, arousing and torturing her, burning her until she reached an ultimate peak, filled completely, and surrounded by more power than she could comprehend, while they took out their frustration at one another on her, destroying her as she felt she deserved. As she so desperately needed._

**_"Tell me what you want,"_ ** _he commanded, trailing he sharp tips of one hand's fingers down her throat._

_Andra took a brief moment to catch her breath, worrying at her lip, "Fuck me..." She begged softly._

_He tweaked one of her nipples roughly, **"Whores should learn to be more specific if they wish to be rewarded."** He lined himself up with her entrance, teasing her with the tip of his cock._

_"P-please...fuck me...Master? Fuck me...hard...I need it...please, please...I can't think, I just...I need you, please...." She mumbled incoherently._

**_"Good_ ** _**girl."** The voice came from every direction, as he thrust into her, filling her completely. His magic spread over every inch of her skin, as he took her savagely and without mercy._

* * *

 

* * *

Comic's eye-sockets had gone dark. He was staring at the spot Andra had been standing, his smile completely absent. Andra was gone. She had let her magic consume her, and she had turned to dust.

Serif was near Kathy, using healing magic to stop the blood, after, Undyne had banished the magic spear from inside her shoulder. He looked away, shaking his head, "I'm sorry...bro...."

The brunette frowned, "What? What happened to her? Where is she?" She asked, voice weak with pain, a hint of suspicion clear.

"She's dusted," Undyne murmured, looking between the twins, "How is that even possible? I thought mages were more...physical?"

The taller of the two skeletons moved closer to the dust on the floor, "She's dead." He said quietly, "It doesn't fucking matter if it's possible. She's  _dead."_

Kathy paled more than she already was, "Wh--? No. Nononononono.... She can't be dead. No. I...no, I can't do this without her...."

"Sugar..."

"She can't reset. You can." Comic said darkly.

"Com,  _no."_ Serif said through clenched teeth.

"Reset?" Undyne asked, narrowing her good eye.

"No offence, but we've explained this all before."

"And you're just gonna forget it again."

"So there's really no point."

The fish woman fell silent, the twins' tone not leaving much room for argument. She'd never seen them this...serious.

"It's prob'ly best if ya go." Serif said after a few moments, not liking the direction the conversation was going. Under normal circumstances, he'd've kicked her ass for harming the human. _His_ human. Even on accident. But this wasn't a normal circumstance.

Undyne slowly nodded, turning to go worldlessly.

A few minutes passed before anyone spoke.

"If you want to see her again, I have to reset." Kathy said firmly, a resolve she didn't feel in her voice.

"Sugar, what're ya sayin'?" Serif asked, sockets narrowed.

"Serif, this is between Comic, and I." She said, shooting him a dark look. She didn't look quite stable.

"She has to reset before she saves again, bro," Comic told him, "It's best you take a step back. Wouldn't want ya being too _nice_ to her, hm?" His features darkened.

The shorter twin moved between them, "What d'you think you're doing? She hasn't done anything to this timeline. We can't."

"I don't care what you two are arguing about, but if one of you doesn't kill me, Andra might stay dead. If you don't do it, _I will_."

Serif stood where he was, looking conflicted, hands clenched into fists at his sides. It took every ounce of control he had not to scoop the woman into his arms and teleport out of there. Magic crackled across his knuckles and he sighed heavily, unable to look at either of them, "If you make her suffer a second more'n necessary, I'll be givin' you a real bad time, bro." He glared dangerously, before taking a shortcut out of the room, unable to bring himself to stay and watch.

Kathy allowed herself to look nervous when Serif left the room, knowing Comic wouldn't back down with Andra on the line, one of his eyes flaring a dangerous blue, "How bad is this going to hurt?"

"I'd say this'd be painless," he used his magic to hold her down, several bone attacks piercing her body to hold her in place more firmly as he summoned her soul, "But I'd be lyin'."

She screamed in pain, attempting to move on instinct, but only aggravating the wounds. She couldn't breathe or protest.

"If I'm too nice about it, ya might save. I can't risk that." He added after a moment, his eye flaring brighter, summoning a Gaster Blaster.

Her entire world went white with heat and pain.


	15. Scissors and Insomnia

It was morning again.

Andra wasn't entirely sure what the save-point had been, and at this moment, she didn't care. Comic and Serif were both awake. She was lying in Com's bed, alone, drenched in sweat and curled up in a ball, the sheets clenched against her chest. Her body ached. Her  _soul_ ached.

She could hear Papyrus and the twins in the living room, or kitchen downstairs. They were trying to keep up with his enthusiasm.

Today was going to be hell. She couldn't do this again.

The redhead got up a little shakily, grabbing for her pills and swallowing them down with the water Comic had gotten for her the night before, cracking open the window and letting the chilled air flow across her skin, goosebumps standing out. A soft glow caught her eye in her reflection on the window, and she flinched when she saw the glow of her own magic cracked across her cheek and chest, one in purple, the other in blue, just noticeable in the dim lighting.

She forced herself to look away, shaking her head and needing to clear it.

What had happened had been her fault.

The young woman grabbed some clean clothes out of her bag, pausing before grabbing one of Comic's shirts as well, wanting something of his to be close to if she didn't have his mark on her anymore. Guilt stabbed deep in the pit of her stomach. She had let that happen. She should have resisted. Should have said no. Been firmer. Shown her disinterest. But she had wanted it. Enjoyed it. Hell, she still felt aroused and sick at the mental replay of Gaster commanding her to beg for more.

She wanted to kill him, but gods knew there was no way in hell she could do that. Part of her wanted to end herself. But that would just put her right back into his hands, wouldn't it? She suppressed the urge to scream, trying to think of something, anything to take out her frustration on.

Fuck it. She went back to her bag one more time, taking out her craft stuff, pulling a pair of scissors from the bag and taking them with her into the bathroom, moving silently.  
 She wondered how she was going to get out without anyone seeing her. But...she had a feeling.

She locked the door, letting it click into place and staring at herself in the mirror for a few minutes, before separating her hair carefully, pulling the middle section on top of her head with a hair-tie. She made quick work of the sides with the scissors, not caring much if it was even as she trimmed. Each snip of the blades helped her calm a little more, and once she finished one side, she started on the other. She trimmed the mohawk itself, a little shorter in the back, until it was just long enough to pull with her fingers scraping hard against her scalp, but no longer.

Once her hair was cut, she hopped in the shower, rinsing off and wondering if the twins were waiting for her to come down to talk to her. She couldn't hear Papyrus anymore. So it only made sense. Good on them giving her the space, but...she couldn't do this today. Hell, she wasn't sure if she could look at Comic again. Once he found out what she had done...nope. She couldn't face any of them.

The short-haired woman dressed quickly, after, pulling on her jacket over Comic's shirt, wanting to cover the magical marks that Gaster had replaced his son's with, even if these ones weren't visible, and that wasn't how it worked. It felt wrong to have them. She felt stronger than she had though. She tested her magic, and felt it flare, an innate knowledge she shouldn't have had on her new ability coming into her mind. How nice of him. She still wanted to rip off that bastard's two attached hands next time she saw him in the Void. If she had to fuck him every time she wanted new magic, she'd rather lose what she had.

She double checked she had her things, hesitating a moment, before stepping from the room, eyes clenched shut behind her glasses. When she opened them, the scent of ozone clung inside of her lungs, and she was standing in a humid area. The sound of rushing water was audible nearby, and a gentle, blue glow lit the entire area. She wondered if they would come after her. They probably felt the magic, when she left. Could they find her? Well if they did...what would they do? Force her to talk?

 Her soft laugh echoed slightly in the cavernous area, and she began walking, occasionally glancing over her shoulder or looking around, to see if one of the others had found her or decided to come after her. She would periodically use her magic to blindly teleport past certain areas, following her instinct that told her Comic was close. She couldn't face him. She hoped he would give up soon.

She finally stopped when she was too exhausted to continue. She'd begun to push her magic too far again, and she could feel the scars along her cheek and clavicle straining. She had to cool it for a bit. But at least it wasn't all at once this time.

The young woman slumped against the cool stone, her feet aching in protest at her sudden decision to change her weight distribution, until she sat down fully, eyes closed for a few minutes as she tried to clear her head.

"Gee, you really messed up, huh, Crazy?" A familiar voice said from directly in front of her.

She jumped, eyes snapping open, before she shot the flower an annoyed look, "What're you doing here?" She asked, wanting to be angry, but unable to muster the energy.

 "Making sure you don't almost destroy us again, **you idiot** ," he replied, "You almost took the whole timeline with you!"

She blinked slowly, "I...did?" Damn. She really had fucked up. Guess the flower was right. She slowly smiled, tilting her head back and laughing suddenly.

He actually leaned back on his stem a little, "What the hell is wrong with you, now?"

 She giggled madly for a moment, before finally calming down, "I think that might be the most backhanded way anyone has ever told me I'm important."

"I didn't say that!" He snapped, looking away, "Ugh. Crazy."

"So...what? Are you playing babysitter now? Here I thought I would get some alone time."

"While I can't blame you for ditching Smiley and Trashbag, they'd keep you from killing yourself. If you were suicidal, you could've just let  **me** destroy you, before you and that voice in your head became a permanent part of this timeline."

She rose an eyebrow, "So what...you can't kill me now?"

The flower gave a frustrated growl, " **No.** You die, and this whole place destabilises, thanks to **Handsy**. If your friend hadn't had Smiley kill her when he did, then we all would have disappeared."

Her eyes darkened, "Wait,  _what?"_

He smirked, "Oh, yeah. Your boyfriend? He killed her. I saw the whole thing, if you don't believe me."

She narrowed her eyes, "I don't need this," she got up, suppressing a groan, ready to use her magic again, even though it was a strain.

"Oh, **come on** , Crazy! You don't even know where you're going!"

 "I made it this far, didn't I?"

"And almost fell in the water how many times?"

"How long have you been following me you little creep?"

"Since you tripped over one of my roots back in that field." He said, sounding as annoyed as ever, "That hurt, y'know!"

 "Roots don't have nerve endings," she replied with a frown.

"Neither do bones."

  
She blushed, glaring at him, her left lens on her glasses going purple-blue with a sudden flare of magic, "I swear, you stupid weed, I will rip your petals off one by one, and use your leaves for mulch."

"Oh, stop being dramatic, Crazy. I didn't  **see** anything. Why would I wanna watch  **that?** Do I look like some kind of sicko to you?"

Her magic faded and she sighed, "Well, you did try to kill me when I first got here, and you seemed to be enjoying that."

"So I'm a little homicidal. I'm not one of your  **readers."**

She frowned, "What?"

He rose an eyebrow, "Hm? Oh, nevermind. Wrong timeline."

_"What?"_

"Shut up," he rolled his eyes, "If you're gonna keep going, and avoiding your Smiley playmate, you might as well take me with you. Obviously Handsy can't keep you from killing yourself, so **I'll** have to keep an eye on you." He sighed dramatically, "What a chore."

"I'm not gonna kill myself again," she replied, pursing her lips, and stepping over him.

He wrapped a vine around one of her ankles as she walked past, and she resisted the urge to shoot a fire ball at him.

"Good. Then you shouldn't care if I tag along."

She almost growled, "Are you sure you're not just lonely?" She asked.

His vines squeezed her ankle almost uncomfortably tight through the boot. It actually hurt, "Are you sure you're not projecting?"

She flicked a small flame at him, making him let go of her with a yelp, "Fuck off. I'll be fine."

His voice distorted, " **Oh, you get a new look, and suddenly you're a badass.** " He dove into the ground, reappearing in front of her, cradling one of his vines almost protectively, "I don't know what your problem is, all of a sudden, but you weren't even this bad when I was trying to kill you."

Andra sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her head back slightly, "Yeah, well, I wouldn't expect you to understand. I really don't feel like dealing with your attitude when my own is more than enough to make me wanna rip my hair out." She yanked on one of the centimetre long sides of her newly mohawked hair with her thumb and forefinger.

He rolled his eyes again, "What, you can't handle a little teasing? So thin skinned, Crazy. No wonder Handsy decided to cover you in his **corrupt** magic."

Her own flared again at that, "Okay, _weed,_ you're dead." She snapped, "That is not something I need to be reminded of right now, least of all from you!" Another fireball, larger than before, and laced with a bluish magic lit her hand.

The stared for a moment, "Uh...okay, no need to go that far. If you're gonna go genocide, I can think of a few monsters that are better to fight than me. Hey, I can even help! Tell you what, I'll even lay off the insults, and you don't have to talk about whatever it is that's bothering you? But you still have to take me with you. You can't kill me either."

She groaned, the sound a little echoey against the stone walls as she threw the fireball at one of them in frustration, the magic rippling out against it in a small shockwave, lighting the area for a few seconds before fading, "Fine. Whatever. But one peep out of you about Comic, or G, and I throw you into the river." She paused a moment, shoving her hands in her pockets, and looking down at him, "Are you going to just keep popping out of the ground, or...?"

"I'm not exactly a normal flower," he replied, a little testily, "Just put your bag down here. I'll ride along there."

"Oh, great. I get to carry you. How many vines and roots are you hiding under the soil?" She asked, matching his annoyance, but still setting her bag down.

"As many as I need. I'm made of magic. I can make whatever parts I want." He replied, carefully removing his roots from the dirt, and climbing partially into the bag. He wrapped around the stem of the golden flower Toriel had given her, a little surprised the woman had parted with one for a stranger, but glad for it none-the-less. It made it easier for him not to be on the ground. 

She picked up the bag once he was settled, pulling it onto her back, and glancing over her shoulder when he twisted around to face forward, "Comfortable?" She asked him, not wanting to care, but unable to help it. She was too damn nice, even when she wanted to kill someone.

"Golly, Crazy, I didn't know you cared."

"Watch it, weed. It's a little shattered, but you saw it yourself. I still have a soul...of course I care a little."

He flinched. Well, that one stung, didn't it. Not that the mage could have known he didn't have one anymore, but it took a lot of self-control not to shove a vine through the back of her skull, **"Good for you,"** he growled, unable to help his angry tone, "Have you taken a look at your soul lately, by the way?"

She frowned, "No, I don't make a habit of it."

"You really should. Monsters can see it without trying. You probably caught a glimmer of what I mean when you went all...super-Saiyan back there."

She snorted, actually smiling, "Dude, Flowey...you watch anime? How d'you even get that down here?"

"I was screwing around in the royal scientist's lab. She's a total **dweeb**." He sighed, "I think she gets them out of the dump or something."

"You're the one who remembered the term 'super-Saiyan,'" she pointed out.

He bristled, "I was making a  **point."**

She giggled, momentarily glad for the distraction, "Alright, alright. Go on."

He sighed, "Monsters see souls like that all the time. Their magic only effects it when the human soul is summoned, though. Monsters are made of magic, so their magic can effect eachother without them having to do that. Did you notice that they haven't had to summon your soul, lately, whenever you've had an interaction like that?"

Andra rose an eyebrow, "What are you getting at?" She asked suspiciously.

He groaned like an impatient child,  **"Ugh.** You really are and idiot."

"Sure. I'm also scatterbrained, and shit at putting details together on the spot. So humour me, and say it like I'm the idiot you think I am."

**"You're not human."**

She paused, "Wait...what?"

"Every time you visit the Void, or eat monster food, or use magic, you get a little less human," he replied, "It's just how mages work, when they sign contracts like the one you did. It's not from this world, so it's gonna have a lot of effects no one, not even **hands-who-shall-not-be-named,** ever saw coming. Hell, even I'm in the dark for most of this."

The redhead stood stock still, hands clenched at her sides, staring intently at the ground. No one had seen fit to tell her that her soul was changing? Well...maybe it wasn't an obvious change? Maybe it could be looked past? She took a calming breath, "Flowey, summon my soul for me."

The flower, extended his stem a little, so he could look at her, "You sure about that, Crazy?"

She batted him away, "Yes, I'm sure. I want to look at it."

If he'd had shoulders, he would have shrugged, "Fine." He replied.

She felt the clenching pain in her chest, but forced herself to relax, not fighting it like she naturally had the first time he'd summoned her soul. The heart-like shape floated from her body, and she stared at it, eyes a little wide as she lowered her glasses slightly to get a better look at it up close.

It was still vibrant in purple and blue, but deep black threads seemed to be stitched through in an inverted glow, absorbing the soft light that had previously emanated from her soul. The axis of its rotation had shifted, no longer vertical, but at an angle.

"It's going to continue to shift until it's just upside down. That's how monster souls are."

"So...what? I'm gonna turn into a monster?"

"Not exactly. I can't really tell you **how** it's going to work. But I can see a pattern, at least. But you're not human, and you're not a monster."

She laughed harshly, "Great. I'm crazy, and a freak."

"Only one nickname per timeline," he replied, frowning at her, and putting her soul back a little forcefully.

She flinched, rubbing her chest, and catching her breath, before she began walking again, "So...you mentioned the royal scientist's lab?" She didn't want to think about this. She wasn't human. She wasn't human. What the fuck? Seriously. How could no one have told her? She was changing right before their fucking eyes, and not one person had bothered to tell her!

The young woman took a calming breath, willing herself not to be so volatile.

"Alphys' lab? Yeah. It's in Hotland. You still got a ways to go, though. A couple of days, if you want to keep avoiding people."

"Can't you just tell me exactly where to go?" She asked, "I'll take a shortcut."

"Ugh...you sound like Trashbag, and the other one...you're using too much magic. Cut it out."

She sighed, "Fine. I'll walk. But if I run into Comic because of you, I'm not responsible for any gardening that happens."

"There should be a good place to rest a little farther ahead. There's an offshoot in the caves that you can sleep in, but you'll need to know how to play pian--"

" _I'm not going to sleep_." She said firmly. She wasn't going to see that bastard a moment sooner than she had to. Punishment be damned.

He shut up, staring at her, tempted to ask, but suddenly certain he didn't want to know, "Alright. Suit yourself. We'll get to Hotland in no time then."


	16. Lost and Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We got our first ever fanart!!! Check out the amazingly talented artist here, http://justanothersinblog.tumblr.com/image/151766576665

The inn was a lot quieter than the skeleton brothers' house. Kathy was going a little stir crazy, but she didn't feel safe there after what had happened. 

Comic had gone off to look for Andra, after she had disappeared, and Serif...had gone somewhere. He had been upset, but she couldn't tell what about. Maybe his promise? She'd been half delirious when he'd mentioned it, but...he'd had a fake smile on (a fake smile on a skeleton...who'd've think?) and he was quieter than usual. She had asked his brother to kill her. Right in front of him. She could see how that might put his morals into question.

She shook off the guilt at that, trying not to get caught up on it. He'd made the promise to Toriel...with the resets, she could take care of herself. She'd have to talk to the well-meaning woman about releasing him from his promise. He shouldn't feel obligated to take care of her....

* * *

"We passed that same rock six times already," Flowey growled.

 _"You_ said you knew where you were going," Andra snapped, "It's not my fault you suck at giving directions."

"I didn't tell you to listen to me."

She groaned, pausing a moment, and looking around, "I'm just going to take a shortcut."

"Will you stop trying to use magic?"

"Well, it's not my fault we're lost."

"You're the one walking--hey! Not that way!" He protested, "What are you doing! **No!** "

"I heard something," she replied, ignoring him.

 "You  **don't** want to know what's over that way. Trust me."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah. Sure. I  _totally_ trust you," she replied, continuing toward the sound.

The path was winding, and eventually she made it to a passage into another area, pausing as she saw several of the same type of monster, milling about, some playing with one another, others simply relaxing.

"Oh gods," Andra started, grinning, "They're so..."

**"Stupid."**

"Adorable!"

One of the small monsters seemed to spot them, scrambling to their feet and running over to the two excitedly, "GrumP fLoW! aN a MAGe PeOpLE Too!!! Such A CUtE!"

A few others ran up to meet them as well, surrounding them, shouts of, "hOI!!" from all directions.

"O-oh. Um...hi, everyone. Nice to meet you all, I guess," her eyes were a little wide behind her glasses.

 **"Can we go now?**  You can even take your 'shortcut.'  **I don't C A R E.** **"**

"u Shud go ChecK ouT dA Tem sHOp!" One of them shouted.

"yaYa!"

"They're called Temmies. They don't sell anything good there,- Crazy. Just a bunch of junk other monsters sold them. These guys buy anything."

She blinked lightly, "Well, maybe they'll buy something of mine then?" She replied with a shrug, "I might have no choice but to stay at another inn. I'll need more money." 

He groaned, **"Fine,"** he sighed, "Move. We're going to the shop. Out of the way! Ugh. Pests."

They scrambled out of the way, while the redhead made her way to the shop, having to duck low to get through the doorway. Once inside, she had to stand slightly leaned over in order to not hit the ceiling.

Another Temmie sat behind a wooden crate, and there were several items displayed around the small shop. It reminded her of a pawn shop, but with more pairs of scratched up glasses. An _old stick_  was shown proudly in a case. It gave her an odd feeling, and she felt discomfort from the flower behind her.

"Can we finish up in here and go?" His voice was actually soft.

 "Are you...okay?"

"Shut up..."

"Fine," she replied holding up a hand in surrender, moving to kneel in front of the Tem tending the the shop.

"Hi, I'm Bob. Welcome to the Temmie shop."

"Oh, thank the stars, it's the **normal**  sounding one."

 "It's rude to point out someone's speech impediment," Bob replied, attempting to look annoyed.

Andra still found it adorable, "Sorry for him. He has no filter, and I can't seem to find a nice set of shears," she told the creature apologetically.

"If that's what you're here for we mig--"

She laughed, "No, that's alright. I was actually wondering if you might be interested in buying something of mine." She slipped off her bag, shifting Flowey, and making him grumble as she dug for her knitting stuff and a few half finished sketches from her notepad. She wasn't going to have much time for crafting, as much as she would have hoped to. He had said they would buy anything....

By the time they had haggled for a price, the redhead ended up feeling like she'd gotten a decent deal, while only being a few coins richer. She paused a moment, wondering how they'd done that. Some kind of magic? She shook her head lightly, talking with Bob for a little while more.

When she walked out, more time had passed than she expected, and she was pretty sure she had promised to come back and work for them part time at some point, but she couldn't remember the details of the conversation, as they wandered out of the village.

"I  **hate** that place." Flowey complained, "You are  **never** taking me there again."

"You can leave me alone,  _any_ time," she sighed.

 "We've had this conversation already, Crazy. I don't know how it turned out with that voice in your head, but it's not gonna be any different with me." The flower snapped stubbornly.

They walked for awhile longer, getting lost again in the room with the fading lanterns, before she thought to use her cell phone to light the way. 

Before she had a chance to think about it, the temperature had rapidly begun to climb, and she was about ready to stop and strip off a few layers of clothing, having forgotten about her self-consciousness as the heat continued to increase. She groaned, "Okay, fuck this," she mumbled the moment there was just enough light to see by. She took off her backpack, setting it on the ground and taking off her jacket. The scars left by her magic glowed slightly in the dark, and she flinched slightly as the immediate area brightened slightly.

"What are we doing now?"

"It's too hot. I'm changing my shirt before I get anywhere anyone can see me."

Flowey shot her a glare, "It's not that bad."

"Turn around and stare at that mushroom or something before I stab you in the eye with a pencil." She threatened, waiting for him to comply before shoving her jacket and shirt into her bag as soon as she'd managed to pull a too-small tank top out of it. She'd need to do laundry soon. She was running out of clothes to wear.

The walk to the lab wasn't much farther. The darkness lifted, with the last of the humidity, a dry heat taking over the area, brightening it considerably. Andra almost regretted not packing sunscreen, as they continued walking, intense heat radiating off of the distant magma. Through either magic, or luck, it was far enough away that the fumes didn't harm her.

"That's Alphys' lab there," the flower said, gesturing with a tendril-like vine.

She gave a heavy sigh, "Thank the gods," she muttered, going over to the door and pausing in front of it. She lifted a hand to knock, biting her lip. What was she gonna tell this Alphys person?  _Oh, hi, I'm possessed by the former royal scientist. You wouldn't remember him. It's alright. We just need to use your lab right quick. Won't take a fraction of an instant._

The voice from the other side of the door was more timid than she was expecting, "Y-you can...come in wh-when th-the flower is gone."

The rainbow-haired woman rose a brow, "Huh?"

"I-I n-n-need to t-talk to you in...p-private. You c-can come in when he's g-gone."

She glanced over her shoulder at Flowey, "You heard her, weed."

He looked offended, " **After I got you all this way?** Give me one good reason I shouldn't just tunnel in there and kill her now." He growled.

"Okay, one; I'd gladly destabilise the entire timeline to destroy you."

He flinched, "You don't even  **know** her. You really are crazy." He rolled his eyes, "Fine. I'll go. Put me down. But I'll be watching. If you leave on your own, I'll know."

"I'm sure you will." She knelt, the ground hot through her jeans, as she lowered him to the soil, allowing him to dig his roots in deep. He seemed to enjoy the heat for a moment, before even the flower looked uncomfortable, diving into the ground and leaving.

There was a moment's pause, before the door opened, and a short, yellow-tan, reptilian woman took her by the hand, half yanking her inside as the door shut behind them.

"Whoa! Hey! Hi. Uh...Alphys, right?"

"Y-yes," the other female replied, moving to a large monitor and typing in a few keystrokes, a brief image coming up, and going away before she could register it, "A-and you're...A-Andra. You came here w-with Kathy, under a c-con-contract with..." She paused, "Someone you're c-calling G. I-it's...um...all in the t-tapes."

The redhead rose an eyebrow, "Tapes?"

"I-I've been...r-really fa-fasc-fascinated b-by you t-two. Th-this isn't um...l-like it was...last t-time a human w-was here. And th-there's nothing in the n-notes about any m-mages falling!"

"Back up for a sec. Tapes?" She repeated, "Just how much have you watched?"

"What d'yo--w-w-wait! No. I d-didn't see any of th-that. I a-always turned the c-cameras off wh-when you and C-Comic...uh...." She blushed furiously, "N-never mind. Y-you know he's...l-looking for you?"

She flinched, "Well shit. So much for hiding out here." She sighed.

"Y-you...d-don't have his...m-m-magic on you. Wh-what happened?"

The redhead groaned, "I'd rather not talk about this," she replied.

"W-would you mind i-if I...d-do s-some tests? It sh-shoul-should've t-taken a...really powerful m-magic to burn off...o-oh..." She blushed again.

She tensed, "Sorry, but I don't even know you, so can you stop acting like we're besties? I'm generally an open book, but I'm feeling a little worn today. I think my spine is cracked." She wanted to shove one of her own anxiety pills down the other female's throat....

"I...um...well...wh-what else d-do you...w-want to know? I-I mean...th-there's not...m-much to know about me." Her body language spoke of nerves.

Andra was getting a headache here. Was she really this bad at meeting people without a voice in the back of her head telling her who they were? She shook her head. She _wasn't_ letting him into her conscious mind right now, "How about we start with why you were watching Kathy and I in the first place, and then we can get to me letting the other one use your lab, if that's kosher with you."

Alphys avoided looking at her, "Um...I...th-the c-cameras are...w-were already s-set up. I wa-was just...k-keeping an eye on them. Th-they've been through...e-enough already. Th-the sk-skeletons, I mean." She fiddled with the fringe of her labcoat, "You should...c-call Comic."

She frowned, "I appreciate the advice, but you should stay out of my relationships," she replied, "I guess you're his friend, and that's great. He's an amazing guy, but...right now I need the time on my own. Trust me, he doesn't want to see me as much as he thinks he does."

"B-because of the magic? Whose is th-the other--? I-is it...G?"

 She flinched visibly, nodding and refusing to make eye contact with the shorter woman, "If you've been watching, I'm sure you know the relation between the two," she replied, "And I dunno if any of G's old notes have been left around here. Comic and Serif had some, so...you might. I dunno. You've probably seen his handwriting."

The other looked down, "U-um...y-yes. We kn-know they were...left b-behind by th-the last royal sc-scientist, b-bu-but we don't kn-know much ab-bout him."

Andra sighed, "Is it alright if I sit down? My feet are killing me. And I'm not really enjoying standing over you."

Alphys flushed, "O-of course! Ah...r-right this way." She led the way to a small sitting area that looked surprisingly well used, between a refrigerator and a door marked as a restroom.

 The redhead sat down, setting down her bag, and taking a few moments to calm herself.

"I-I...uh...d-don't mean to...push, b-but...Com...h-hasn't stopped looking for you..."

She hid her face in her hands, "Alphys, I swear to the gods," she replied, voice muffled, "Can I just stay the night here?" She looked up through her fingers, "I'll call him when I calm down more. I just...I can't talk to him right now." Knowing that the other had been watching her every move should have put her on edge, but if anything, it just made her more comfortable. She seriously had some issues, but...it wasn't as if she hadn't quickly gotten used to a lack of privacy. Hell, a small part of her wondered if the lizard like monster had watched more than she admitted to. She honestly got a bit of a thrill out of it, but she wasn't going to be admitting that to anyone anytime soon.

The scientist bit her lip, a little conflicted, "I...g-guess you can st-stay for a little while. B-but...I'm c-calling him if you d-don't."

She sighed, "Okay. Fine. That's fair enough," she replied, "But just tell him I'm alright. Don't go inviting him over or anything."

"He's um...p-pretty lazy, so...I w-wouldn't normally th-think he'd c-come, but...w-with him acting the w-way he is..."

The mohawked woman leaned back in her chair, tilting her head back to glare at the ceiling, "You're saying he'll show up anyway." 

"I've n-n-never seen him so...m-motivated."

"You're making me feel like a bitch here, doc."

"S-sorry, but...the t-twins are...m-my friends," she almost sounded upset, "I d-don't a-ap-appre-appreciate you m-messing with him i-if you aren't s-serious...."

She straightened up, staring at the other woman in shock, " _What?_ Are we seriously having _that_ talk? I expected this from Serif, but not from you. Of course I'm serious about him, I mean...I..." She blushed, "It...started out as just...drunk sex, at least on my end, but...." She shook her head rapidly. What the hell was wrong with her, "Its only been a week. I can't say for sure where it'll go."

"I d-don't know how h-humans and mages d-do it on the surf-f-face, but erasing a m-mark isn't a g-good way to st-start." She flushed.

"I didn't ask him to," she almost growled in reply, touching where one of the marks had been on her neck, her own skin going pink, "I didn't really have a choice in the matter."

_**You signed the contract.** _

She wanted to scream when the voice rang through in her head, but bit it back, instead clutching the sides of her head in her hands, clenching her eyes shut, "For the love of my sparse threads of sanity, G, _go away."_

The presence seemed to dissolve, but then, she hadn't felt him before. She felt watched. It made her heart race, and her hands shake, adrenaline pumping through her system.

Alphys stared for a moment, slowly shuffling over to her and putting a hand on her arm, "U-um...are you...okay?"

She shook her head, still cradling it in her hands, "No, I'm fucking not. I let him do whatever he wanted to me, and I enjoyed it, and I'm just...fucked...literally and figuratively."

 The reptilian woman blushed, eyes wide, "W-well...um..."

"And Com isn't gonna want anything to do with me. I mean, you said it yourself that going off and erasing his mark was stupid as hell," she replied, rambling on a little.

"W-wait I n-never said it was st--"

"And it's just gonna end up happening again, because I'm a dumbass, and G is going to make me relax by acting all reasonable, and then he's going to snap the next time I do, and we'll both be weak, and stupid, and--" Pain lanced through her head, and the room went white for a moment, "I-I need to...I don't know..."

The scientist flinched, patting her arm a little awkwardly, "U-um...c-come on...An-Andra. Let's g-get you...t-to bed."

She allowed the other woman to lead her up an escalator, helping her lie on a dusty looking bed. It didn't seem to get much use, though once upon a time, Alphys had lived here. 

Before she had a chance to thank her, the redhead had passed out, her dreams, thankfully, silent.

* * *

 

 _"He did what?"_ Comic growled at the small woman, eye sockets going black as he stood outside the doorway of the lab.

Alphys shifted a little, her tail swishing nervously behind her, "W-well, f-from what I could tell, um...y-your dad...m-marked Andra."

The skeleton stood unnaturally still for a moment, before forcing himself to relax. Outwardly, "Is she okay?" He asked, knowing the process had to have been a painful one. His girl liked it rough, but he couldn't imagine she liked having two different magics fighting for her.

"Sh-she seems a little...um...t-traumatised. B-but...she seemed m-most worried th-that y _-you'd_ be mad at her."

His eyelights lit properly again, and he stared, "Well shit." He ran his hand over his skull, "I just wish she hadn't run off without talkin' to me first. If she'd've had the decency to start a fight, I could'a given her some space."

"I...th-think she...n-needs you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know you could be a part of the FFAD? Follow our blog on tumblr before 10/25/16 and you could work with me to put your original character into the Falling For A Deal universe! Check us out at http://fallingforadeal.tumblr.com/


	17. Souls and Spears

Snowdin was way too damn cold. She didn't know how the skeleton brothers could stand it. Even if they didn't have any skin, this had to chill them to the bone...ugh, she sounded like the twins, even in her own head. She needed to binge watch something once she was able to get back to her nice comfy bed.

She passed another figure in the foggy, blizzard-like conditions at the edge of town, pausing as they stumbled slightly, "Hey, d'you need some help?" She asked after a moment, moving over to steady the other, squinting through the snow, "Lemme give you a hand."

"Oh! Nah, no, that's alright, really."

"It's fine," she replied cheerfully, helping the other out of the fog, to the warmer side of the conflicting magical weather, "I'm always willing to lend a h--" she stopped cold, staring at the shorter figure, "Y-you're the human!" She said loudly, clearly taken off guard a she jumped away from the heavily jacketed young woman, "Papyrus told me he'd spotted you, but you were 'evading' him, what the hell is going on here?" A spear materialised in one hand.

The fish woman had certainly sounded...different, when she was being nice. Kathy was a little shocked she hadn't recognised her voice sooner. If she had, she would have run, "Evading him? What? I've been sick," she said quickly, "He was taking care of me," she tried not to shake as she thought of her friend exploding into dust while fighting the other woman, "He uh...said he couldn't capture a sick human. It wouldn't be fair."

She scoffed, "Sounds like him. He's too nice for his own good. He was like this with the last human, too," she replied, drawing Kathy's soul from her body.

The brunette gasped softly, staring at the softly glowing heart. It was a vibrant green, but for just the briefest of moments, she could have sworn she saw red. But she was certain it was her imagination, "L-last human?" She asked, not really wanting to fight.

"Yeah. Some stupid kid. Thought they could skip around and make friends with everyone...then they stabbed us all in the back."

"They...hurt someone?" Her eyes widened in shock. Hadn't all the other humans been children?

The one-eyed woman glared, "We need seven human souls to open the barrier that the mages made to trap us here. And that brat stole the six we already had collected, and ran. Even after we were willing to let them go." She looked away, her grip tightening on her spear, before she threw it at the other, the weapon spinning so that it hit Kathy sideways, "Enough talking. Are we gonna fight, or what?"

She stumbled back, falling on her ass and staring up at the other woman, and then down at the spear that had clattered to the ground, "W-wait, do we really have to fight? I mean...why can't we just talk this out? Really?"

Undyne growled in annoyance, "What did I just say? Stand up, and defend yourself, punk!" She aimed a spear at Kathy's soul, her good eye sparkling with intent.

The brunette scrambled to her feet, picking up the spear a little awkwardly. The magic made weapon tingled against her hands, and she held it tightly, "Wait, please, I really don't want to fight--"

"Shut up!" The other woman threw the spear in her hand, aiming straight for Kathy's soul. She moved forward, trying to smack the weapon away with the one she held on instinct, but reacting too slowly. The spear pierced her soul, sending her to her knees, as the world disappeared in a shower of glowing spears.

* * *

 Andra woke up feeling more relaxed than she had thought was possible. She tried to figure out why before it occurred to her that she wasn't alone. She thought for a moment that she might still be asleep, but Gaster had been keeping his distance. 

Cool, skeletal fingers brushed through her short hair, and she realised who it was. She'd be tempted to say it was all just a dream...a horrible and erotic dream, but...her dreams were pretty much reality, now. She opened her eyes, shifting to look up at him, "Com?" She groaned softly.

"I'm here, Sweetheart," he told her gently, running his phalanges gently up and down the back of her head.

She shivered against him, cuddling closer, "I'm so glad..." she mumbled, hiding her face against his sternum, "I was afraid you wouldn't want to see me." She knew he had to sense the magic. She couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. 

He held her a little tighter, "I'll always want to see you, Sweetheart. Don't you _ever_ worry about that," he told her firmly, "Are you okay?" He asked more gently.

She blushed, "I'm...I'm fine," she said softly.

"Should we sit up?"

"Hm?"

"'Cause you're lyin'."

She blushed, waking up a little more and smacking him gently on the chest, "I _am_ fine," she replied, giggling a little and shifting to look at him again, "You're here."

A light bluish blush tinted his cheekbones, and he brushed her hair out of her eyes, "You wanna tell me what happened?" He asked after a few moments. His hand ran through her hair gently, his tone protective.

The redhead sighed, "I can't talk about it..." She said quietly, "I...I don't think you would want details, anyway...."

"I'm already gonna give him a bad time as soon as he gets his own body," he told her, his eye sockets going dark for a few seconds, before he sighed, calming down, "But I don't think it's good for you to be carrying this around in your head, Sweetheart."

She flinched, "If you dare undo all the work I'm doing in this contract...." She trailed off threateningly.

"Don't worry, I won't kill him, yet. But if he touches you again...."

"Comic! Please...I just..." She pursed her lips, curling against him again.

"Just what, Sweetheart?" He asked, his gaze softening a little.

"I want to--"

_Cool, skeletal fingers brushed through her short hair, and she realised who it was._

She would have jerked awake if she weren't so damn comfortable, "Com...did we just--?"

"Yep."

"Great...we should go check on Kathy."

He hesitated, knowing what had happened before, "Nope." He said after a moment.

"What?" She opened her eyes, "What d'you mean, 'nope?' I'm not going to let her die again."

"She can reset Sweetheart."

"And I can't. I _know._ Why do you guys keep reminding me of that?"

Comic frowned, "He's right about that one."

"You're admitting he's right about something?"

"You can be right and still be annoying."

"She doesn't deserve this."

"Serif'll take care of her."

She relaxed a little, "Fine."

"So, what were ya sayin'?"

The redhead drew patterns on his ribs through his shirt with her finger, "I...I want to...feel your magic again." She replied after a few seconds, biting her lip.

 He ran his fingertips down the back of her neck, his magic lighting one eye, "Like that?" He asked.

She shivered at the tingle of his magic playing against her skin, closing her eyes a moment, "It's a start."

He chuckled, "Andra," he said gently, magic playing down the side of her face.

The rainbow-haired woman opened one eye, "Hm?"

"If ya want me to keep doin' this, it's not gonna be like last time..."

She sighed, "I know it's gonna hurt. And I know G's magic is going to fight yo--"

_Cool, skeletal fingers brushed through her short hair._

Comic groaned lowly, "Dammit..."

Andra gave a half awake groan as well, struggling to open her eyes again, "'M never gonna wake up at this rate...."

"As much as I hate to feel his magic on you, maybe this should wait?"

"Hmm?" She was still half-asleep.

"Exactly."

 Andra took a minute to wake up, "I need coffee," she said quietly, "I can't concentrate."

"I'd offer to get ya a cup, but--"

_Cool, skeletal fingers~_

"Ugh, fuckin' _hell."_ She groaned, "What's taking Serif so long to get to her?" She demanded, "And how did you know that was gonna happen?"

"Ya get used to it after awhile. You can feel it comin' if it happens back to back like this. Like...the magic starts crawling down the back of your spine...and it's like static in your skull."

She sighed, "You've gone through this a lot?"

"Yep."

"Does it get any easier?"

"Depends on your definition of easy."

"Why does this crap have to be so complicated?" She complained tiredly.

* * *

Serif nearly splintered the bartop. How many times was Undyne going to kill his human?

Grillby gave him a strange look through his glasses, raising an unseen brow when the skeleton stood up, making no pretence of any sort of good mood.

He had tried to stop Undyne from hurting her three times now. He was at the end of his fuse. He didn't know how long his Sugar was gonna last this time. She seemed to be losing some stamina with each reset, and he couldn't blame her. The fish woman was no easy fight even when fully rested. Kathy was still sick.

He reached out to the mark he'd left on her with his magic, when he'd been healing her. It was faint, but enough to find her by, teleporting to her side and using his own magic on her soul to move it out of the way of the incoming spears.

The last few times, he hadn't interfered so directly. Out of all the timelines, it could have been worse. He had higher HP than he could have. But it was still lower than most monsters...even his twin, and he still had to be careful. _He was being stupid._

A few spears hit him, and Undyne just barely seemed to register he was there.

_Reckless._

She began to withdraw her magic. Kathy was upset.

_It was that promise. He couldn't leave the human alone to keep getting killed._

He was on the ground. He didn't remember falling.

_Well at least they aren't fighting, now...._

 "Serif!" Kathy was kneeling beside him on the ground, "Serif, come on, what...?"

Undyne was standing, helmet tossed aside, good eye wide, "What the hell did he think he was pulling? Agh! Human, this is your fault!"

"My fault?! You're the one who kept killing me! He was just trying to keep his promise!"

"Kept killing you? Promise? What the hell are you talking about?" She demanded, practically shoving her aside as she looked the skeleton over. He was badly wounded. 

He grunted when she was moved away from him, usually smooth bone creased in pain. His magic reached out to the bit of magic he'd left on her.

The fish woman frowned, looking over at her, "Human, get back over here for a sec."

"What? You pushed me!" She protested, but moved closer again anyway. Serif seemed to relax a little.

Undyne groaned, "Well that's just great."

"What is?" Kathy asked, not entirely comfortable with the other female.

"Looks like we got a truce, punk."

She stared at her distrustingly, "Why?"

"Would you rather I kicked your ass, after Serif threw himself in front of my spears to save it?" She asked pointedly.

"He was just keeping the promise he made to...a friend of ours. He didn't have to do this." She shook her head, looking him over worriedly, guilt tearing at her chest.

Undyne looked at her with disbelief. Damn, this human really was naive to their ways, wasn't she. Well, it wasn't her place to bring it up, but if Serif didn't soon, she'd have to, " Well, look at it this way--now you owe him. You'd best stick around to pay him back, punk. Or I'll make you pay, instead." She bared her teeth threateningly.

Her eyes got wide, "Wh-? No! I wouldn't ditch him! I want to help, just tell me what I can do," she said quickly, reaching down to take Serif's hand unconsciously in both of hers.

The taller woman sighed, "Come on, let's get him back to his place...uh...don't let go of his hand, alright?" She told her, "He's doing better with you in contact with him."

She blushed, "H-he is?"

"Yeah, not that I can think why," she sighed, shifting to pick up the skeleton once she was sure the other was ready to stand, "Come on. And for the stars sake, don't fall, punk. I don't feel like carrying two of you."

She nodded rapidly, scrambling to keep up with the taller woman as she carried the skeleton back to his house.

Kathy moved to open the door for them before Undyne could kick it down, careful to keep a hand in Serif's, while they moved into the house. The shifted again, until, somehow, she ended up sitting on the couch with Serif's head resting on her lap.

Undyne sighed, "His injuries are pretty bad...if the others can't heal him, you could be stuck with him for a few days. Maybe a week. I'm not really the one to ask about this stuff. I should get Alphys down here to look him over."

She shifted a little, and the skeleton opened an eye socket, looking unfocusedly up at her for a moment before closing it again. Was it possible for bone to look pale? "Is there anything else we can do for him? How is it that I'm helping him?"

The other shrugged, "All I can think of, is human souls are pretty strong, y'know? Like I said, I'm not the one to ask." She replied, "You probably won't have to keep touching him after tonight, but moving away from him is gonna be a bad idea...just...uh..." She ran her gloved hand through her hair, looking away, "Do you want me to hang around and keep an eye on his HP until his brothers get home? I know humans can't see it."

She blinked slowly, "Oh, um...s-sure," she smiled lightly, "I...I know you don't have to. I appreciate it."

"I'm doing this for him, punk, not you," she smiled, "But you're welcome."


	18. A Thread and a Ring

Undyne settled on the couch, her armour stacked in a corner to keep it out of the way as she stared at Alphys' number in her phone, sighing heavily, before dialling the number and putting the phone to her fin-like ear.

It rang twice before the other answered, "Undyne! Hey," the smile in her voice was obvious, and made her own relaxed smile cross her features, "Y-you never call me during work hours. What's up?"

"Hey babe," she settled into the couch a little more comfortably, "I had to call it a day a little early. I guess you haven't checked the tapes, lately?"

"Huh? No. Why? Did s-something happen?"

She glanced at the unconscious skeleton who seemed to be trying to slowly ooze more into Kathy's lap. The more contact he had with the human, the more steady his HP seemed to be, "You need to come by the skeletons' house." She sighed, "Serif got hit by a few of my attacks."

Alphys almost choked, "Wh-what? Is he alright? I'll get his brother, and be right over, but...what happened?"

"I found the human, and...well, y'know," she shrugged, "I dunno what his problem was, but Serif threw himself in front of my attack, and now he's curled up in the human's lap, and not doing too good when she moves away from him."

The other fell silent for several seconds, "Okay, I'm definitely on my way. See you in a little bit, Cutie!" She hung up.

Undyne hung up, grinning, a little flushed.

"You know this person pretty well, then?" Kathy commented. The other woman actually looked pretty nice when she was relaxed like this.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Alphys is..." she smiled, the expression abnormally gentle, "She's my soulmate." 

Kathy smiled, "That's really sweet," she replied, before her smile faded, and she looked down at the skeleton in her lap. She wondered if he had a soulmate somewhere. If he wouldn't be more comfortable snuggled up to them. But it wasn't like she was interested in him that way, anyway. She was human, and she had a boyfriend, and she didn't even have magic. In fact, she hoped he had a soulmate somewhere. He deserved to be happy. He was so nice, and self sacrificing, and sweet, and...and she was just a human. A human who had fallen into the Underground, and who was sick of dying already. But at least she knew she could come back.

"Y'alright, punk? Ya look a little out of it."

She looked up, "Hm? Oh, um...I'm okay. I just have a lot on my mind." She was sitting here with the person who had killed her several times in a row, but she couldn't bring herself to be mad. Just tired and frustrated, and determined to not let something like this happen again.

Undyne was quiet for a few minutes, sitting in awkward silence, while Kathy's hand began to absently play over Serif's skull.

"So...do you like anime?" The fish-woman tried.

The human glanced up, brightening a little, "Ooh, yes! You guys have that down here?"

She grinned widely at that, "Yeah! I mean, we prob'ly don't have nearly the selection you guys do on the surface, but you'd be surprised what gets thrown in the dump. I swear, Alphys has some sort of power to drag down all the good ones!"

* * *

Andra sipped her coffee from a large travel mug, pretending not to pay attention to Comic and Alphys' conversation as she shuffled around the lab, poking around at random things. G was still being unusually silent, but she could feel him there, now, like a disapproving chaperone, staring over her shoulder to make sure she behaved. She supposed it was an apt description.

"I can get us there with a shortcut in no time," Comic was offering, pulling his sweater back on.

The other scientist went through some files she had on the twins, in case she had to refer back to previous examinations she'd done, "I-I don't want y-you to use you magic too much. You still haven't taken much of a break."

"I'll be fine," he sighed.

"I could help," Andra offered from behind her coffee cup, scooting lazily toward them on a rolling-chair, "But I have to stop outside and let someone know I'm going."

"Y-you mean th-that f-flower?"

Comic frowned, eye-sockets narrowing, "Flower?" He asked, voice a little dangerous, "Don't tell me you were hanging around with that weed."

Alphys snorted, bursting into giggles, and making both of them look at her, "S-s-sorry..." she laughed a little harder, "It's just...you both...are s-so m-much...a-alike...."

"What?" The skeleton frowned at her.

Andra cracked a smile, "I called him the same thing when he was riding along with me...."

"Riding along with--? Andra! That little shit is dangerous!"

"He won't kill me, Com."

"Why d'ya think that? 'cause he said so?" He asked, irritated.

"Because if he does, it could destroy the timeline, and then he can't have fun either. Just because I'm not a genius, doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"I never called ya stupid. I'm worried about ya."

She pouted at him, sipping her coffee, " _Ground_ rules--you're not allowed to worry about me until my morning coffee is finished, or it goes more than an hour without me touching it. Deal?"

He fought off a small smile at that, before giving in, "Fine, deal..." he chuckled, "I'm sure I'll be able to tell if somethin' is really Sumatra with ya."

She giggled as well, sipping her coffee, "So, will you let me help with the shortcut?"

"I meant to ask about that."

"Oh, um...yeah. After what happened with G...well..." She was a little satisfied to feel some discomfort from inside her mind, "I guess I got a little more magic out of the deal? There's other stuff we need to talk about, but it can wait until we make sure your brother is okay."

"Hm. I don't think he meant to give you the extra magic, Sweetheart. But you're right. This is a conversation for a different time. Just lemme tap into your magic when we go, alright? I'll direct it, so we go to the same place, that way neither of us is straining ourselves."

She nodded, "Sounds good to me," she replied, biting her lip, "Sorry to make you use so much chasing me down...."

 "Yeah, next time ya run off...gimme a call to let me know you're alright, at least, okay?"

She frowned at him, leaning her head back a little and finishing off her coffee, "I hope not to freak out that badly again." She replied, getting up from the rolling chair.

He looked thoughtful for a few moments, "I...might have some ideas on that." He said, "But it's too early to talk about that. Come on--y'all set to go, Alphys?" He called.

"Y-yeah, I'm ready," she replied, moving over to them.

"We're usin' both our magics, so you're gonna wanna stand between us, alright?" He explained the process, while Andra grabbed her backpack and poked her head out the door.

"Yo, Weed! I'm headed out with Comic and Alphys! You can stop stalking me now!" She shouted, before pulling her head back in, "Okay, I'm set to go, too." She said sweetly.

The skeleton took her hand, "Alright, lemme just get our magic synced up, then we can go."

She nodded, feeling his magic tingle along her skin, and up her arm, before a deep, electric ache absorbed into her bones, filling her more quickly. It was a little painful, against the other magic, but he wasn't trying to mark her, and it withdrew as quickly as it filled her, pulling her own magic to the surface, and making her head buzz slightly. They both placed a hand on Alphys' shoulders.

"Ready?"

"Y-yeah."

"Mm-hm."

Their magic flared in a mix of colour, before everything went pitch dark, and they reappeared in the living room.

Undyne and Kathy were enthusiastically discussing anime, but they cut short as the three showed up.

"Andra, are you okay?" Kathy asked, pinned in place by Serif, whose upper body was practically curled onto her lap at this point, as he unconsciously tried to get as much of himself in contact with her as possible, "You just left! Where did you go? How did you go?"

She sighed, "I wandered around a bit, and I guess I got some new magic after...what happened before. Something happened with G while I was...out of it."

The fish woman frowned, staring at the mage for a few seconds, "Uh...am I the only one lost here?" She asked when no one else did, "Whose G?"

The rainbow-haired woman glanced over at her, forcing herself to stay calm. Alphys and Comic had explained a little about her. She didn't want to lose it again, "He's another personality that lives in my head and occasionally takes over." She replied, seeing no reason to sugar-coat it, or explain it in depth. There had to be weirder things in the Underground, right?

Undyne stared for a few seconds, before grinning widely, "That's... _awesome!!"_

Andra gave a half laugh, "Yeah, I guess. We're not getting along at the moment, though."

"You guys should just fight it out," Undyne shrugged, "Always helps me."

Comic frowned, "I don't think that's the solution here," he cut in.

"And anyway, G lives in my head, so that's not gonna work," not getting into the fact that if they could fuck, they could probably fight, she didn't need to screw her sleeping patterns up more than she already was, "Can we focus on Serif? How's he doing?"

"He's holdin' on alright. His HP is really steady," Undyne gave a sly smirk, "S'long as the human doesn't try to get up."

Alphys suppressed a giggle, before putting on a more professional face, moving to the other two, "Um...i-it's nice to m-meet you. Y-you're Kathy, ri-right? I'm Dr. Alphys. I uh...d-do you mind if...I t-take a look at y-you as well? S-since he s-seems to be doing better with you, I'll j-just need to see what m-might be helping him."

Kathy blinked lightly, biting her lip, "Um...I guess that's fine."

 The scientist nodded once, using her magic to look them both over, even as she performed a quick visual scan. The connection between them was...tenuous, but it was there. A thin thread, that the monster soul was clinging to desperately, made steadier by contact with the human. Her soul was mostly closed off, as far as she could see without pulling it out to look at, but that thread had made it through.... And he had thrown himself in front of Undyne's spears to save the human? If it wasn't obvious by now, it should've been. But then, maybe Kathy was just too close to the situation. It was adorable! Or it would be if the skeleton hadn't been injured.

She stepped away, "He sh-should be alright in a c-couple of days. I d-don't want to he-heal him too quickly. Since his...his HP is p-pretty low, it's b-best to let him recover on his own," it would also give their connection a chance to form, "Y-you'll s-still n-need to st-stick close to him, though. Did he um...u-use magic on you, b-by chance?"

"I've been sick," she said after a moment, "He's been healing me, I guess."

Alphys nodded, "It c-could be...um...m-maybe he f-feels his m-magic in you?" She offered, trying to come up with a satisfactory explanation, "Th-that he n-needs to b-be close, I mean."

Andra rose an eyebrow at that, but stayed silent.

"In other words, get comfortable, punk." Undyne grinned.

Kathy frowned, shifting a little, her thumb smoothing over Serif's skull lightly. The bone was warm, and almost-but-not-quite-malleable. Not like skin, but not the firm texture she would have expected. She blushed a little, pulling her hand back, and pausing slightly when she noticed something...missing...she quickly tried to think of where she'd last left it. Maybe in the bathroom? Or when she'd insisted on cleaning the dishes, despite being sick? 

The mohawked woman moved to rest a hand on her friend's shoulder around the back of the couch, feeling exhausted in spite of her own rest, "Why don't we get you two lying down properly? You're not looking too good either, hon."

She flinched, slowly nodding, "Alright...but, um...Andra, would you mind...looking for my ring for me? I took it off, and I can't remember where I might've left it."

"Yeah, sure. I can look for it in a bit. Com and I needed to talk about...what happened. In private. And, anyway, I need to actually talk to G, too." She sighed, "This conversation is going to be  _fun."_

"You still have to talk to me, too," Kathy told her.

"I know. I'll pop in later." She replied.

There was some shuffling around as they moved the two to Serif's bedroom, and Alphys and Undyne said their goodbyes, the doctor promising to come by and take a look at them again.

Andra made plans to visit the lab again, exchanging numbers, and Undernet information with the couple, promising to allow the scientist to speak with G next time she was at the lab.

* * *

Serif's room was dark, and sparsely decorated. While there were some clothes scattered on the floor, they were mostly pushed toward the corners of the room. There wasn't much in the way of furniture, and the only light came from a dim computer monitor showing some sort of spacey screen saver.

Kathy lay next to the skeleton, trying to keep a respectable distance between them while still keeping contact, though that was proving difficult. He moved closer, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tight against his chest, seeming to relax as more of her was pressed against him. She sighed, blushing lightly. This was...a little awkward. But...it was nice being held, and knowing she was helping someone. God...she was so tired. Resets took a lot out of her. She could just...sleep...for days. 

The guard around her soul dropped as she relaxed, and exhaustion slowly took over. A soft warmth seemed to wrap around her like a blanket, a gentle glow in the back of her mind making her thoughts heavy, in a pleasant way. Like caramelized sugar, or molasses. Sticky, and sweet, and warm, holding her in place like glue. The feeling made her crave a taste of that sweetness, as sleep swept her away into even sweeter dreams.


	19. Stars and Pleas

_The moonlight streamed down onto her skin, making it glow as Alex's hands ran down her arms. She smiled gently, her dark hair catching in the breeze. His lips tickled lightly over her neck, his arms slipping around her waist as he pulled her against his chest._

_Kathy leaned her head back onto his shoulder, smiling up at him, dark eyes sparkling in the starlight, "I've missed you," she said softly, reaching up to trace her fingers over his jawline, pouting at the dusting of stubble there._

_"Not as much as I've missed you," he replied, brushing her hair out of her eyes, shifting to kiss her softly._

_She groaned against his lips, her hand running up to bury in his dark hair, pulling him closer to her as she turned slightly in his arms to straddle his lap, "Mm...why don't you show me how much?" She asked softly, her lips brushing against his._

_He smiled lightly, kissing her again more firmly, his hands running over her gently, unbuttoning her shirt slowly, before sliding the material down her shoulders._

_She shivered as the cool night air hit her skin, though it wasn't unpleasant in that moment. The heat radiating off of him, and her own slowly building heat was enough to warm her._

_They explored one another, lips on skin, hands getting more insistent as they pulled more insistently at clothing. For just the briefest of moments, though, she wondered what it might be like to explore a less familiar body. She loved Alex. But...he wasn't the man who had lulled her to sleep in his embrace the last week or so...._

_Suddenly, he rolled her onto her back, the grass poking through the flannel blanket beneath her, as she opened her eyes to see...her boyfriend's hazel eyes were replaced by a flaring blue one, set in inky darkness. The skull above her set her heart racing, as she felt her stomach tighten. The stars of the night sky still twinkled, moonlight glowing around the skeleton like a halo in the deep blue above them, "You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to invite me in, Sugar...." he said quietly, voice a low, possessive growl that made her squirm slightly._

_"S-Serif...what are you...how are you--?"_

_He smirked, "Clearly I'm the guy of your dreams," he chuckled, leaning down to press his teeth to her lips._

_It felt like a real kiss. There was no point in questioning how kissing a skeleton in a dream could feel so...right, and normal. She relaxed a little, running a hand experimentally over his skull, nails grazing the back of his head lightly as he began to deepen the kiss, glowing tongue pressing past her lips to wrestle with hers._

_It tasted like fizzy candy, and made her head spin as she found herself kissing him back hungrily, her hand running lower, over the fine lines of his upper vertebrae._

_He broke the kiss, forehead leaning against hers, "I need you so much, Sugar," he breathed, nipping at her lower lip._

_The level of heat she felt just from the brief contact with the male above her almost made her want to throw away her inhibitions, "Serif...wh-why didn't you...say anything? I mean..." she closed her eyes, shaking her head briefly, "This...why do I feel this way?"_

_"These are your dreams," he told her softly, shifting to nip at her neck, "I can't make ya feel anything you don't wanna feel...and I can only show up if you let me in."_

_Kathy shivered lightly, arching involuntarily into his touch as his fingers ran over the fabric of her bra, making her nipple harden, her lips parting in a breathy gasp. She wanted him here. She_ wanted  _him here. God...well...if she couldn't admit it...at least in her head, she'd never get a good night's sleep, would she? It was just a dream. She gave another soft gasp as his hand repeated its motion over her other breast, before continuing to tease her._

_"You're responsive," he purred, nipping along her collar bone, "Like you've been needing this as much as I have...." He gave her nipple an experimental, gentle pinch through the fabric, making her arch her back and drawing a sharp gasp from her.  
_

_"I-I..." It was a dream. God, it was hard to think. Should she just play along with the fantasy? Even in the dream, she felt bad...her boyfriend was on the surface, waiting, and here she was in the arms of a sinfully attractive skeleton. How was this even possible? Could her...imagination...even supplement what was necessary for the fantasy to continue? Well, she supposed she would see._

_He smirked, "Speechless?" He purred, finally allowing his hand to trail lower, over her stomach._

_"Uh...a-a little..." she squeaked, biting her lip and suppressing a giggle as his fingers brushed over a ticklish spot._

_He rose a brow bone at her reaction, chuckling again softly, and resisting the urge to tickle her more thoroughly, his hand wandering along her waistband teasingly, "You don't need talk for me to hear you, Sugar." He told her, meeting her eyes as he pulled her bra under the curve of her breasts, leaning down to flick the tip of his glowing tongue against one of her nipples, causing a soft gasp in response. His phalanges dipped below the waistband of her panties, not quite daring to go lower as he tested her reaction, nipping lightly at one of her breasts, leaving a small mark._

_She groaned, leaning her head back slightly, arching involuntarily toward him. He took her motion as an invitation, his hand dipping lower, between her legs, impatiently flicking his fingertips over her clit as he turned his attention to her other breast, a shiver running down his own spine at the sound of her moans ringing into the night._

_Another moan was escaping her when he kissed her again, his sweet magic filling her senses, as sensation overloaded her. He continued rubbing her clit, relentless in his assault, magic coating his fingertips to spark ever-so-slightly against the bundle of nerves. She groaned almost animalistically, lifting her hips wantonly to meet his fingers, before his magic forced her to hold still, a low chuckle echoing in her head as he laughed against her lips._

_His pace slowed, as if in punishment for her over-eagerness, and she found herself panting for breath and whining for more whenever he broke the kiss long enough for her to speak. She hardly had the self-control not to beg, as he flooded her with stimulation, keeping her hovering on the razor's edge between climax and frustration. She couldn't think past wanting_ **more.**

_"I want to hear you say my name again," he said lowly against her lips, teeth grazing her skin, "Let me hear you beg me to let you come."_

_Her eyes were unfocused and her hands clenched the grass through the flannel beneath her in two fists, knuckles white. She watched him pull back to look at her, disheveled and driven half-mad with desire._

_If only this were real._

_"Please...please...S-Serif...I need you...please...." She groaned desperately, biting her lip hard enough to break the skin, tasting a hint of metal along with the lingering sweetness of his magic, "Please let me..."_

_"Let you what?" He asked, continuing to tease her._

_She would have blushed if her skin weren't already flushed a bright red, "L-let me...c-come...please...Serif....nnh...."_

_He smirked, continuing to watch her as he released the sparking magic into her body in a sudden flood of rushing warmth, rubbing her clit harder. A loud, gasping moan tore from her throat, and she writhed under his attention. Sparks popped in her vision, and she tasted warm sugar as his magic flooded every part of her._

_When she finally came down from the intensity of her climax, she was breathing heavily, the skeleton staring at her as if in awe, "Damn, Sugar...you're gorgeous when you scream for me...." He said softly. He brushed her hair back, smiling softly down at her, before kissing her again. The dream slowly dissolved into sweet, comfortable darkness, leaving behind only the ghost of the sensation he had caused._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am the Lemon Queen. XD


	20. Advice and Oatmeal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We seem to like the last chapter, don't we? You lovelies really have a thing for Serif and Kathy, don't you?  
> So, what's gonna happen this morning, hmm?

* * *

 

Kathy was so _damn_ comfortable.

She groaned lowly, snuggling closer to the warmth beside her, before the memories of her dream began to filter back. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times, and realising she was snuggled uncomfortably...well...okay, it was comfortable, but she didn't have to _admit_ it. Maybe try inappropriately close, to the injured skeleton. 

The young woman shifted a little, attempting to extricate herself from his embrace. That dream had been...uh... _intense?_ That was the word Andra had used for her encounter with Comic, and it seemed fitting now, just describing her imagined encounter with Serif. The idea that it could be more...mind blowing, if it were real, was just... _no._ She wasn't going there. One not-so-innocent fantasy that she'd had no control over was one thing, but her waking thoughts were hers. 

Once she managed to get out of his arms, she scooted away from him, relieved when he didn't immediately tense up upon losing physical contact with her. Maybe they'd been wrong, and she could leave the room? It'd be a little awkward if she was here when he--

"Mornin'," Serif said quietly, eye-sockets still closed. A small smile crossed his features, "Y'know, if ya wanted me to let you go, Sugar, you could'a just asked."

She flinched, frowning at him, certain he could see her through the bone lids, "I thought you were sleeping. And can you please stop calling me Sugar? I have a name, you know."

He opened one eye socket, the white light moving to look at her, though he didn't otherwise move, "You haven't had a problem with it before."

"I was too sick to say anything," her heart pounded somewhere between her throat and her head, "That's not really an appropriate nickname, is it?"

He grinned, still watching her with one half-lidded socket, lazily, "Why not? You're so sweet."

She wrinkled her nose at him, "Would you stop?"

His grin faded a little, and he looked almost hurt for a moment, before his features relaxed again, "Sure thing, Kathy. If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll stop."

She sighed again, "Thank you..." she paused, brushing her hair back, "Are you alright? Why did you do that, yesterday? I had everything under control." She was  _not_ going to bring up that dream. 

He blinked lightly, "Uh...it was nothin'. I just figured it wasn't a positive ex-spear-ience for ya," he replied, "So I stepped in."

She groaned, hiding her face in her hands, "No. Just...no. Stop," she lowered her hands after a moment, "I'm serious. I know about the promise, but you also know about the resets, so there's no harm done, right?" Even if she was  _sick_ of dying already.

His smile faded, "Yeah, well, I don't make promises lightly, so I plan on stickin' to this one," he replied, eye sockets narrowing a little, "Even if you come back physically fine, I know what that strain does to ya after a few thousand times."

She blinked slowly. A few...thousand? How much had Serif been through? Who had reset him so many times?

"Don't gimme that look," he sighed, sitting up and regretting it. His bones still hurt. He gritted his teeth, "Look...Su--Kathy..." he shook his head, "If you're gonna be in here, can you at least be useful and help me get this rag off?" He plucked at the torn up shirt, "I uh...don't think I can get my arm that high."

She pulled herself out of her stupor, shaking her head to clear it and looking at him, a little flushed, "Wh-what?"

"I need to get a look at the damage," he replied.

Kathy blushed darkly, biting her lip and flinching when she nicked the cut from the previous night, reaching up to touch it, and coming away bloody, " _Shhi_...uh...ugh." She shook her head.

He rose a brow bone, "Y'alright?" 

"I'm fine, I just...gimme a minute," she licked the blood off her lip.

He glanced over, smiling lightly and giving a low chuckle, "Lemme get that for you," he told her, "Hold still." Before she could protest, he used a short, low energy burst of green healing magic on her lip, the cut knitting closed, though the mark was still there. He looked visibly drained, even from the small magic use. Clearly he really wasn't back up to 100% yet. He still needed her.

She froze when he touched her lip, scooting away when he finally pulled his hand back, blushing down her neck and hiding behind her hair, "Uh...th-thanks...."

He grinned, "No problem. Looked like it hurt a _bit."_ He snickered,

She groaned again at his emphasis, "You didn't...." She whined, burying her face in her hands again.

He continued to chuckle for a few moments, before calming again, "Seriously, though, are ya gonna help me get this thing off? If not, can ya call someone who will?"

The brunette flinched, not wanting to bother anyone else, especially if she had to be in the room anyway, "I'll help, but if you make another pun, I'm walking out." She did her best to put on a neutral expression, moving to his side again, helping him with removing his shirt as she carefully avoided looking at him. Not that it was working. The marks the spears had left on his bones were still fresh-looking, the cracks deep and sickening, though his bones were thicker than those of a human, and certainly sturdier, she still didn't feel right about the severity of the wounds, especially after the minor healing he'd received. She paled, "Sh-shit...are you gonna be alright?" She squeaked quietly.

The skeleton looked himself over, running his distal phalanges lightly over the cracked and bruised bone, "Y-yeah. I'll be fine. I uh..." Damn...no wonder he was drawing more energy from her. His soul would choose _now_ to reach out, before his human was ready for it. The exposed inner parts of the bones glowed with his magic, paler and purer than when he used it, and he sighed, "It looks worse than it is." It was the truth.

"It still looks really bad," she replied, "Is there...anything I can do to help, or--?" She trailed off, the dream still fresh in her mind. Why couldn't she forget it? It would be so much easier than thinking about the fact that, in spite of the awful wounds (that he had gotten  _protecting her--_ her heart skipped a beat), he was really damn attractive with his shirt off. Seriously, who knew that bone could be so...

"Kathy?" Serif clicked together his thumb and middle finger in a snapping motion, grabbing her attention and causing her to look up. Her flushed features didn't go unnoticed, but he thought it best not to comment, "Hey...look, I'll be fine, alright. Just uh...I dunno how much got explained to ya. I was conscious long enough to hear Undyne tell ya not to let go of me...."

She looked away again quickly, "I um...guess I need to stay with you...a few days? Do you know why, though? Dr. Alphys said something about...you're drawing the energy from when you healed me back, or...I don't know. I was still freaking out pretty bad from being killed so many times, and then having you jump in front of the spears."

He wanted to comfort her and tell her it was alright, but he knew there was no point to it. She was putting herself in this mindstate on her own, "That's uh...about right, I guess." He replied, figuring it was better not to contradict the other scientist, "Maybe a bit more uh...complicated than that, but that's close enough."

The young woman sighed, shifting to cross her arms on her knees. In spite of the fact that she couldn't bring herself to look at him...it was strangely nice sitting beside him in the bed. She'd missed snuggling with someone, even if she'd only been able to do so with Alex on the weekends and on days off. But it felt like cheating. And that dream hadn't helped that feeling, "So...do I have to be, like...right here, or can I wander a little? Because if I have to be stuck in this room for a couple of days, I'm going to clean it. I don't know how you can stand it."

He shrugged, "I won't fibula, I don't do much standing in here."

She flopped her head down onto her knees, groaning again at the double pun.

He gave a low laugh, though the strain was audible this time, "You're probably fine anywhere in here. Eh...if ya go farther...just...try not tibia long, yeah?"

She didn't lift her head, not even managing another groan, just giving him a half-hearted thumbs-up, "Mm-hm." At least that meant she could get a shower real quick, and maybe grab some food for them both. He wasn't really in any condition for standing anyway.

"Can ya help me lie back down?" He asked, "This is takin' a lot outta me."

She lifted her head, "Uh...y-yeah, sure. Here," she moved to help him lie down, blushing a little while being careful of his injuries, "You'll be alright while I shower real quick?"

"Yeah, no problem," he replied, releasing a breath he'd been holding once he was relaxed against the pillow, "Ya took all your clothes to the inn, though, didn't you?"

She blinked slowly, "Um...I can...put these back on...I guess..." Even if they were all sticky with sweat and...there was a bit of a reminder of her previous dream. God damn it.

"I've got some clean clothes you can use. I haven't worn 'em in awhile."

She frowned, "Oh, I'll...I'll be fine, really."

He grinned at her, "It's fine. You been wearing my sweater for over a week now. What's a shirt and some shorts? You can toss your stuff in the wash."

She hesitated, "O-okay," she blushed, "I guess that'd be fine. It's pretty bad, after that fight with Undyne."

He nodded, "Clean pile is that corner," he gestured.

Kathy flinched, but slowly moved off the bed, to the indicated pile. She picked out an over-sized t-shirt that would cover her well enough, and a pair of shorts with a draw-string, so she could pull them tight. Though since he was a skeleton, she didn't doubt that they would probably be a little snug on her. She glanced back at Serif, who was watching her with half-lidded sockets, looking a little more tense than before, but not too bad. The bathroom was just on the other side of the wall, so...yeah. He'd be fine. Which was good. Because she needed a little time to clear her head.

She clutched the clothing, murmuring a thanks, before heading out of the room. She could almost feel a slight...tugging where her soul was settled as she moved away from him, but it eased when she was a little closer on the other side of the wall, though the barrier still felt almost offensive in a strange sense, and she took a slow breath. She took a few minutes to calm down before stripping down, eyes closed for a moment, before she opened them to look herself over.

The brunette froze, staring for a moment, even as her nipples hardened involuntarily at the sight. But damn. Oh damn. Oh  _damn._ She was going to kill him. Or...or maybe not kill him, but...what the hell? How was that there? 

The bite mark on her breast was clear, the individual marks of the teeth well defined, a slight, dim glow of magic to the mark, though nowhere near as extreme as the marks Comic left on Andra. 

Oh god. Please let her have brought her phone in with her...she scrambled through her clothing, finding the phone, nearly dead in her pants pocket on the floor. It had never been plugged in to charge. Her heart almost broke seeing the low battery, and she hoped it would hold out long enough to figure out what the hell was going on.

She sat down on the edge of the tub, dialling Andra quickly.

The answer came after several rings, **"Hello,"** the voice was darker than usual, but Kathy was too freaked out to notice.

"Thank god you answered...um...I really need to talk to someone. I had this...uh...this dream about Serif, and something happened, and now I think it might be real, and I think maybe I cheated on my boyfriend," her words ran together as she spoke, her voice high-pitched with panic. There was silence on the other end of the line, and she had to look at her phone to make sure it wasn't dead yet, "H-hello?"

There was a heavy sigh from the other end of the line,  **"Apologies, but I don't think this is who you meant to call. Andra was rather exhausted, Kathy. But I suppose I can try to be of assistance."**

Her voice froze in her throat. She choked on her words for several seconds, "U-uh...j-j-G? _Shit._ Um...j-just forget I said anything, alright? I uh...I'll c-call back later."

 **"I'll have more insight into this subject than she will, you know."** He sounded almost bored.

She took a moment to take a slow breath, forcing herself to think it over, "Okay...I've got like...15% battery. I can talk for a bit," she sighed, "Um...you really don't mind helping?"

There was a sound of some paperwork shuffling in the background, and then a chair creaking,  **"I'll admit...Andra has a point about me focusing too much of my attention on work, when I'm here. I'm fine with helping. I already have my suspicions, in fact, but I'll need a little more detail to be certain."**

She paled, "Just how much detail are we talking, here?"

 **"Nothing too...intimate,"** he actually sounded uncomfortable,  **"I understand some of the surrounding circumstance already, hence my preliminary theory, however I'll need to know what happened for you to be certain that this is real, and not just a dream."**

If the blood kept rushing in and out of her face like this, she was going to pass out, "Uhm...." she gulped lightly, "In the uh...the d-dream...Serif...uh...b-bit me..." she paused, taking a slow breath, trying not to think about the fact that she was saying this to his father, "And uh...wh-when I...f-finally got a chance...I got a look at myself...and saw the bite mark...for real? And it's, like...glowing a little?" she glanced down, poking at it.

He managed a small laugh, though he didn't exactly seem amused,  **"Interesting,"** he replied, clearly trying to keep himself detached, so as to not make either of them more uncomfortable than necessary,  **"And what led up to him appearing in the dream? Did your scenery seem to change, or did he appear?"**

She paused a moment, "He appeared...um...he..." she blushed darker, "S-said something about...me inviting him in, I think?"

There was momentary silence on the other end of the line, and Kathy almost pulled the phone from her ear to check the battery again, before he spoke,  **"You have a boyfriend on the surface, you said? Given Andra's memories of you, and general human custom, I...don't think you're going to like my answer."**

Kathy tensed, "Why not?" She asked slowly.

**"What you experienced is known as dream sharing. Generally, it is done by bonded mates, but it can be done by unbonded soulmates when they're in close proximity, and with either intentional or unintentional consent. It can also be done with non-soulmates, with the help of a contract, such as the one Andra signed with me. Rather than give you a chance to wallow in denial, I will simply state this outright, Katherine. Serif may very well be your soulmate."**

Those words did  _not_ help ease her tension in the slightest, "I...I...what? What are you--? I...I thought I told you not to call me Katherine!"

An amused tone came to his voice, almost teasing,  **"If my son is your soulmate, you're going to be calling me father anyway, so I figured there was no harm done."**

She tried to glare over the phone, "Shut up. Just...no. No. This isn't possible. He's a monster. I'm human."

 **"Monster-human couples may not have been common, but they did happen before the mages locked us away down here,"** Gaster told her.

"Well, it isn't gonna work anyway, I have a boyfriend. What if...what if we get back to the surface somehow? Or...or he falls down here on accident, looking for me?" Not that anyone knew they had come here, but there were rumours of people disappearing. Maybe he would look...he was that good of a person. He wouldn't just forget about her, right?

**"And if he were to meet his own soulmate, do you think he would hesitate to form a bond with them?"**

"Humans don't work that way."

**"Only because they don't know what they're doing, or have the magic to see it through."**

"He isn't like that. He and I are together. He wouldn't...I mean...I would want him to be able to move on eventually, but...I can't just...."

**"Would he not want the same for you?"**

"Well...he...he would, but...I have to do this. For him...for us. What would he think if he somehow ended up here, and I had already moved on so quickly?"

**"After finding someone who called out to your soul itself? Think of it this way. You hold yourself to a higher standard than you do him. Is that because you think he is not up to the task? Is this, in and of itself, not more insulting to him than if you were to hold yourselves to equal standards? This leaves you with an option. You can choose to become possessive, and angry, should he choose to move on, putting yourself in the position of constant worry over whether or not he is with another. It will lower your quality of life overall, and the stress will be a strain on yourself and those around you. Or, you can give yourself the same leeway you give your human, and realise that moving on is inevitable. You are trapped here, unless somehow, the barrier drops. And after what has happened to this timeline, that is not going to be happening. Accepting that moving on is inevitable will allow you to foster the growth of a true soul bond, and free you from the guilt that you are imposing on yourself. If your human partner comes here, he will understand, I am certain, and you can talk about it then. Either way, I'm sure you would prefer if Serif is a little more...under control, if that were ever to happen. Or we may have a dead human on our hands. He might be enamoured with you, but he has no such love for other humans, and monster-kind tend to get territorial about their partners around those they've mated with."**

She was quiet for a few seconds, taking in what he had said. When she spoke, her voice was quiet under his authority, "Yes, father."

His smile was almost audible,  **"Glad to see you can follow through on a promise. I'll hold you to this one, as well...please give Serif a chance,"** he sighed,  **"I may not be the most...pleasant of company, but I do want my sons to be happy."**

Kathy sighed, "I understand...thank you for explaining. I...I'll think about it."

**"The decision will always be yours in the end."**

She shivered at that, "I know...I...need to go. My phone is dying."

**"Thank you for taking my advice to heart."**

She nodded though he couldn't see her, taking the phone from her ear and hanging up. She went through the motions, stepping into the shower and getting herself cleaned up almost mechanically, before sitting on the floor of the tub, arms crossed over her knees, chin rested on her arms, letting the heat soak into her skin. She tried to calm, and relax.

Soulmates.

Her and Serif were....

The water was beginning to get cold. She could feel the tugging at he soul again. A slightly uneven knock on the door, "Suga--uuhh...Kathy?" The skeleton's voice was strained, "You...alright in there?"

She looked up sharply, "Serif?! What are you doing out of bed?!" She demanded, standing up and turning off the water. She shivered slightly, quickly drying herself off and dressing in the borrowed clothes, a little embarrassed by the lack of underwear, but willing to deal with it. She tugged open the door, hair still wet, "Are you crazy? You're still hurt! How are you even up right now?"

He was leaning heavily against the wall across from the bathroom, "You worried about me?" His eyelights flicked over her. It was unfair how damn good she looked in his clothes.

"Of course I'm worried! You got hurt protecting me, you idiot! What kind of question is that?!" She stomped her foot, "Get back in bed!" She blushed, "A-and stop looking at me like that. I have some...some serious stuff to talk to you about. After we eat. I'm gonna cook."

"Paps just got home a little bit ago. I'll have him bring up some food for us."

She flinched. She wasn't ready for this conversation yet.

"Anyway...I dunno if I can handle you being all the way downstairs, yet..." He admitted, looking away, a little flushed.

She shifted uncomfortably, "Oh...so...spaghetti again?"

"Nope. We mysteriously ran out of ingredients."

Kathy slowly smiled, laughing a little, "Which one of you did that?"

"I dunno what you're talkin' about. Mind helpin' me back to my room, before I fall over?" He asked, a little strained, "I kinda pushed myself too hard gettin' here..."

"I was going to be back soon," she sighed, moving to his side. She carefully ducked under his arm, helping him walk toward his room again. He was heavier than he looked, but still lighter than a human his height, so she didn't have too much trouble walking with him.

"You were takin' awhile..." He replied, "And uh...I could hear you through the wall..."

She stiffened a little, "Oh."

"How much did the old man explain?" He asked cautiously, as she helped settle him back in bed, sitting down next to him without meaning to. He didn't move his arm yet.

She blushed, "I...I don't know how much I'm ready to say out loud. But...I know that dream was real." She covered her face with her hands, unable to stop the reddening of her skin.

He grinned crookedly, "Ya didn't seem too upset," he said hopefully.

"That's because I'm in shock." She replied, muffled by her hands, "Just wait. The denial is coming."

"Ya know...I uh..."

She peeked through her fingers, surprised to see a clear, blue blush spread across his cheekbones.

"I couldn't really help myself last night, Sugar...."

"Serif...I told you..."

"I know," he sighed, "But you're so sweet, I figured you'd look past it." He grinned at her.

She blushed darker, brushing her hand through her wet hair. His arm was still around her, but she couldn't bring herself to move, "Look...I know...we're...you know."

He fell quiet, waiting for her to say the word. Stars, he wished he could just hear her say it. He knew they were soulmates, but hearing her say it would make it real, and  _okay,_ and so much  _better._

"I...I just need time to think about this, okay? No more of what you did last night. If I had known it was really happening, I..."

"What? You'd have said no?"

She hid her face again, "I don't know. You didn't give me the chance to find out."

His free hand moved to rub the back of his skull, making a gentle scraping sound, "You were dreamin' about the _human_ before that," he replied distastefully, "I wanted you to forget about him...."

Kathy sighed, dropping her hands completely and staring at him, "I'm human too. If you're uncomfortable with Alex, why aren't you uncomfortable with me? Humans aren't exactly well loved by history here. I've read some of the stuff up on the Undernet."

 "Easy. You're you. I'm not impressed with humans in general. I've met a few. Some of 'em were...alright, but I've never met one who made my s--"

"Please don't say the s-word right this second...."

He gave her a hard look, "Soul. Kathy...you make my soul just..." He shook his head, "I don't care that you're human."

The brunette crossed her arms, "Why is this so easy for monsters?" She whined.

He shrugged, "Instinct, I guess?" He replied, pausing, "Would it...help if you could _see_ my soul?"

The question clearly held more meaning than his casual tone suggested, and she looked at him with wide eyes, staring openly, "Serif...no. No, don't offer that to me. Not right now. That's not fair."

"Yes, it is. Or it would make it fair, anyway."

"No. I can't ask for that. Look...just...slow down for a sec, okay? I already told you I need to think. Humans need more time for this kind of thing. Please...please just...be patient with me. I'm not ready for that."

He sighed, "Alright...I understand...but...look, can ya at least give me a place to start? I'm not all that familiar with how humans normally date. I mean...I remember bits and pieces from other timelines about some stuff, but eh...this isn't a subject I ever really thought would come in handy. I know it's not too different from monsters, but once we decide to be together, we're together."

"Just like that? What if things don't work out? What if you have differences? Or...don't get along?"

He shrugged, "That kinda thing...just doesn't really happen. It _can_ happen...but it takes a pretty extreme turn of events to make anyone not want their soulmate."

She flinched, not looking at him, "Like...what?"

"Depends on the person, what's acceptable and what isn't," he replied, "I seriously doubt you could do anything I'd find unforgivable."

Kathy shook her head, ducking out from under his arm and moving away from him, needing some air, "Well...look...I said I'd think about this. But it's too soon to be talking about any of this. For now, let's just...keep this...thing between us...at us being friends, okay? And...sorry for calling you an idiot. I know you were just worried."

He opened his mouth to respond, but didn't get the chance.

"I hope you are both hungry!" 

"Oh...hey, Paps. Yeah. Of course," Serif smiled lightly, "What's for breakfast? It smells good."

"Since you are not well, and for some reason, my ingredients for spaghetti are missing, I have decided to share some of my oatmeal with you both!" The tall skeleton replied, looking around the messy room, "You should not be sitting up unassisted." He added after a moment, moving to set the oatmeal on the desk and turn the light on properly, before helping his brother sit up against the pillows, "Is there anything else the two of you need? I understand that you cannot leave his side, human."

She blinked lightly, hugging herself and giving Papyrus a smile, "Oh...please don't trouble yourself Paps, I'm...uh...actually...would you mind swinging by the inn, and getting my things for me? I guess I'll be here for a few days again."

"Of course!"

"Maybe you should just move in," Serif suggested with a grin.

"What? No. No. That's...you're skipping ahead waaay too many steps, Serif, _no."_ She felt like she was reprimanding a particularly headstrong cat. Where was a spray bottle when she needed it?

"Stop making the human uncomfortable, Serif!" Papyrus told him sternly, setting one of the bowls of oatmeal before the other skeleton, before retrieving Kathy's as well, "I will return with your things, human. You are still ill. Please rest, as well." He offered her the bowl.

She smiled slightly, taking it and enjoying the sight of little, multicoloured dinosaur eggs mixed into the mush, "Thanks, Paps. I will."

He grinned widely, "Of course you will! For I, the Great Papyrus, have recommended it."

She giggled, "And the Great Papyrus gives great advice." She replied, moving to sit in the desk chair with her food. She just needed a little space from Serif for a bit.

Papyrus' eye-sockets seemed to sparkle, "Indeed! Enjoy your meal. I will retrieve your things."

Kathy smiled, "Thanks Paps. You're an angel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, since I intended to get this chapter published by the 25th, for the Join the FFAD special raffle, and well...didn't! I'm extending the deadline to Halloween. Follow us on Tumblr by October 31st of 2016 for a chance to have your character written into the FFAD universe! fallingforadeal.tumblr.com


	21. A View and an Omen

  _Kathy wasn't sure where they were. But then, it was a dream. It didn't have to make sense._

_Serif stood beside her, looking out at the twinkling lights of a city she didn't recognise. He smiled lightly, looking at her for a few seconds, "Is this...better?" He asked._

_She sighed, "If we have to share our dreams...yes," she fell quiet, hugging herself, though the air felt like Spring. She didn't really mind sharing, but...it was a lot to get used to, and after what had done before...she wasn't sure how to feel. She had given permission, but only technically. Yes, a part of her had wanted it. She had no choice but to admit that. No matter how she twisted it, it was impossible to change that. But he had pushed her permission a little too far, a little too quickly, no matter what direction her dream had been heading before he had arrived. It was just...going to take some time before she was comfortable enough with him to take their relationship, if she could call it that, any further._

_He watched her, hands tucked into his pockets, "You alright?" He asked gently after a few minutes. Ever fibre of him wanted to be closer to her, but at the same time, having her in his dreams, they were as close as an unmated couple in their situation could be._

_"Fine. Just...a lot on my mind." She replied, not looking at him, "So...this isn't my dream. Where are we?" She asked after a few seconds._

_He looked back out at the city, "That view is New Home. It's the capital city of the Underground. Used to live near here with my dad and brothers, when we were younger. Back when he was still the royal scientist. There was a passage that Com and I would sneak through sometimes when we were kids, and it let out here. When we got a little older, we told Paps about it, but we wanted to let him find it on his own." He smiled lightly at the memory, but it quickly faded, "We were uh...pretty busy, back then, though. Papyrus had to spend a lot of time alone. It wasn't really fair to him."_

_She hesitated, before slowly reaching over and taking one of his hands, "Thank you, Serif. For showing me...this place must mean a lot to you."_

* * *

 

It had been two days, and Kathy was still holed up with Serif.

Andra felt for her friend a bit, but she was glad to know that they were both safe. She looked over at Comic then back at the vacant house, "So how much does a place like this cost? You really think Kathy and I could afford something like this?" She asked, thinking back to their one-bedroom apartment.

"Eh...25,000G, I think it said? Water is included," he added, smirking.

"No shit." They were in Waterfall. Of course it was.

"It has some furniture, too, I guess? Nothing much. But the owner should be by to let us in and take a look around."

"Are you really sure about this? I mean...you have bills to pay, don't you? I don't want you to get behind just helping me and Kathy with this. We'll be fine at the inn a little longer."

 "Don't worry about it," he replied, "Between Serif and I, we got our place covered. Let us take care of ya."

"This is a loan at best, babe," she replied, crossing her arms, "Kathy isn't going to stand for you guys buying us a house, and neither am I. But...we can't keep staying in an inn, either." She heard the approaching sound of footsteps, glancing up and turning toward the sound.

The elderly tortoise-like monster approached, giving an uneven smile, "You two must be the interested buyers--hey, en't you one of those skeletons that run the hot dog stand?"

Comic chuckled, "Yup."

"Wah ha ha! Good to meet ya--and a mage too! Haven't seen one of them since the war. Thought your kind would'a died out by now. What brings you to the Underground?"

Andra paled a little, staring and taking half a step back, "Uh...yeah? Well...surprise, I guess. I didn't really have a plan when I jumped, if I'm being honest."

The tortoise looked momentarily shocked, before his grin came back in its toothless glory, "Wah ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! You _jumped?_ I knew I made the right decision, to stop tryin' to get back to the surface. Humans got so bad, even someone who can pass for one can't stand 'em! Wah ha ha!"

His laughter _was_ a little infectious. Andra found herself chuckling, "Well, some humans are pretty awful, but they're not all bad. Anyway, this bag of bones here is just lending me the money. My roomie is laid up at the moment, so I'll be the new resident."

His eyes sparkled and he gave her a kind look, "Right this way, kid. I'll show you around the place. Just got it cleared out. Glad I can finally retire!"

They followed down a low-ceiling hallway to the locked door, which the elderly monster unlocked with an aged looking key. The ceilings were, gladly, higher in the house itself. The living room was spacious, and she was pleasantly surprised to see hookups for electricity, and a few pieces of furniture. There was a sofa, a small table, no chairs or television yet. The kitchen was fully furnished, if a little out of date. There were two bedrooms, a master bedroom, and a regular one, though the only difference between the two was the size of the closet. The house was free of windows, apart from one in the living room, carved into the stone wall itself, taking up nearly half of it. The view was stunning, looking out over twisting canals, and sparkling stones, luminescent flowers and twinkling lights from other homes reflecting off of the water. 

Andra found herself speaking before she realised what she was saying, "It's perfect," she muttered, looking over at them, "I want it. I need this place. It's absolutely perfect. Kathy will love it." She smiled widely.

"Welp. Guess it's settled then."

The paperwork was a lot easier than it would have been on the surface. The place was paid for and they had furniture on order within a couple of days. 

The place wouldn't be decorated, at least not until they both had some spending money, but...it would be liveable, soon enough.

* * *

 Kathy was so glad to finally get out of the skeletons' house. They were great, and all. After the first night, Serif had been pretty good about respecting her boundaries. And Papyrus was a sweetie as always. But the claustrophobia was real.

"So, where are we headed?" She asked Andra as they walked.

"It's a surprise. Just be happy we're getting out of Snowdin. You still haven't had a chance to yet, right?" She grinned.

"No! I've been stuck in bed for more than a week now, between getting sick, and Serif throwing himself in front of a spear," she whined, pulling at the wrapper of a sucker and tucking the trash into her pocket. The candy seemed to cheer her more than a little, and she was skipping ahead within moments.

Andra laughed lightly, "Careful, it gets a little twisty if you go that way. Come on. This way. I know a shortcut--and no, not that kind of shortcut," she grinned, "Papyrus told me about this one. There's a guy with a boat who gives rides through the Underground. Where we're going is right at the main boat-stop." 

She blinked slowly, "Like...a bus?"

"Mm-hm!"

"But it's a boat?"

"Yeah, isn't it awesome?" She grinned, leading the way through the town to the river. The river person was just rowing up as they arrived, offering them a small wave from under their cloak. She laughed lightly, "Hey, Riv!"

"Hello Andra~," they replied, tilting their head. If she squinted, she could see a flash of teeth in the shadow of the hood where they were smiling, leaning on a walking stick with one hand, offering the other to the redhead, still covered by the cloak, "Is this the friend you told me about?"

"Yeah--Kathy, this is River, River, this is Kathy." She climbed onto the boat with River's help, moving to sit down and giving their hand a squeeze through the cloak. It felt almost...no. That couldn't be.

They took their hand back, seeming suddenly nervous, but flashing another smile from the shadow of their hood as they offered Kathy some help onto the boat as well, "It's my pleasure to meet you, Kathy~," they said pleasantly.

"Oh! Nice to meet you too!" She took their hand, climbing into the boat, and settling into a spot with River's help, "So how much does this cost?"

They laughed, the sound almost melodic, "Oh, it's free of charge. I just like to ride in my boat~it get's lonely, though. I appreciate the company."

She returned the smile, "That's really nice of you," she replied, looking around as the boat began to move. She fell silent, enjoying the scenery as the water took on a soft glow. The air slowly turned warmer, and River hummed to themselves as they rowed, voice echoing off of the water.

"The water is a bit rough today...that's an omen, if you believe in that sort of thing~," the boat-person almost sang before the boat came to a stop, glancing at them, "Long day ahead for you two." They smiled genuinely, "Please enjoy the moment of peace."

Well that wasn't creepy at all. Kathy managed a smile, while Andra got up from the boat, helping her friend back to solid ground.

"Thank you for the ride, River! We'll see you around!" The rainbow haired mage gave the other a wave, keeping a hold of her friend's hand, "Now, come on, I have something to show you!" She almost giggled, pulling her behind.

"Whoa! Hey! Andra, wait a sec!"

She grinned, "Oh, I know you can keep up with me, Ms. Sugar-rush. Come on! It isn't far," she said excitedly, pulling her down the hall and through another hall, to the door for the home-turned-shop-turned-home again.

"What are we doing here?" Kathy asked slowly. The hallway was a little cramped. Her eyes widened when her friend took out an aged key, unlocking the door in front of them and pushing it open, "Wait...why do you have a key? Who lives here? Andra, what's going on?"

The mage laughed, pulling her friend inside, and shutting the door behind them, "Welcome home!" She said, biting her lip and adjusting her glasses, "What d'you think? Comic helped me get everything we needed...um...heh...Serif knew too. We wanted to surprise you. We couldn't keep staying in the inn, and...you seemed like you needed some space of your own, so...this is for us...."

The brunette was still staring openly at the house, slowly wandering closer to the large window in the living room, staring out at the view, "It's...beautiful..." She whispered, "I...I just..." She looked over at Andra, "This is...so much..." She covered her face with one hand, brushing her hair back, "I think...I need a minute. To process this."

The rainbow-haired woman nodded slowly, "Sure. If you want...um...your room is down that hall, at the end. I hope you don't mind...I took the one with the bigger closet. I uh...got some clothes for when G is in control. I figured forcing him to dress like a woman isn't going to help me in trying to live peacefully with him in my head," she sighed. He'd been rather silent as of late, apart from a comment here or there. She still hadn't talked to him properly about what he'd done. Hell, she was still carrying his magic around. She'd been so busy, she just...hadn't had any time. The negligible magic Comic had been able to release into her in passing had been repelled rather easily, thanks to the strength of the mark left by Gaster. She had to fix that soon.

Kathy nodded, "Thanks. I'll...get myself adjusted in there, then," she said, sounding a little faint. She walked into the room, closing the door and sitting on the bed. It was a little overwhelming to be here. To be...in a new place. A place that was...theirs. This was real. It was really real. They would really never be going back to the surface.

They were really stuck here forever.

Before long she was asleep, lost in solitary, if fitful dreams.

* * *

 Andra was in the kitchen when a sudden wave of weakness hit. She wasn't expecting it. She'd simply been enjoying some alone time, taking advantage of the fact that Gaster was distracted by...whatever it was he did in the Void alone.

She'd been cooking something...she absently shut off the stove, covering the food and leaning heavily on the counter. Gods, what the hell was wrong with her? She closed her eyes, chewing her lip lightly, suddenly lightheaded and unsteady, "G? What's...going on with me?" Her voice was lower than she expected it to be, "C-come on...I know you're there." It felt like...fuck. Magic and...why was it suddenly so fucking warm? She tried to push herself away from the counter, feeling a little weak kneed.

She could feel the confusion cross her mind as Gaster came back to the surface,  _ **Are you alright? What's wrong?**_ She hadn't spoken directly to him in a few days, unless she'd had to. The mage didn't have to reply as a strong surge of arousal and heat rolled through her, sending her to her knees with a thump against the counter as sweat beaded her brow.

Gaster flinched internally,  _ **Andra, listen to me. You're going to need to let me take control. I'm going to get you somewhere that this isn't going to be a prob☹︎☜︎m. ✡︎⚐︎u  ☠︎☜︎☜︎d to lis❄︎☜︎☠︎ ❄︎⚐︎ me✏︎**_

She couldn't understand him anymore, or maybe she simply didn't care to. Footsteps came from down the hall, and a slow grin spread across her face. She'd forgotten she wasn't alone...

"Andra? What happened?" Kathy's voice was groggy as she came around to the kitchen, yawning lightly.

The redhead gave the other female a weak smile, getting to her feet, "Oh...sorry...I didn't mean to worry you," she said softly, biting her lip, skin a flushed pink, "I uh...hehe...guess I fell. A little...light headed."

She frowned, "Have you had enough water? Or...um...have you taken your pills? Here, why don't you sit down?" She moved over to her to help the other over to the couch.

Andra leaned against her a little heavily, eyes half-lidded, "Sitting down sounds like a good idea," she said, shaking her head and trying to clear it. What was she doing? This was her friend. She needed to think....

"You're really warm...are you getting sick?"

She shook her head, "I uh...I don't know.... I've probably been overworking myself the last few days," she sat down, still clinging tightly, almost desperately, to Kathy's arm.

"Andra?" Kathy asked slowly, feeling her forehead for a fever. She was warm, the skin slightly damp, "Hey...you don't seem so good...why don't I finish making your food for you, and you just sit down for a bit?"

She wasn't hungry, not for food, and she was tempted to say as much, but she shivered instead, "C-can you just...sit with me, for a minute?" She asked, "Like when we're watching movies?" This was fine. It was just a little bit of...platonic cuddling. She hadn't gotten to properly spend time with her friend, one-on-one, since they'd fallen.

The shorter female sighed softly, moving to sit down next to her, "Sorry I was so freaked out before...I guess...it's just a lot to take in. Having a place of our own...makes it real? You know what I mean?" She asked.

The mage nodded lightly, shifting to a more comfortable snuggling position and resting her head on Kathy's shoulder, "It can be...overwhelming," she said softly, not sure if she was talking about how she was currently feeling, or what the other woman was saying. Her fingers began to do slow, comforting circles on Kathy's hip, ghosting over the fabric of her pants, not enough to tickle, just to let her know she was there as she hugged her closer, closing her eyes for a moment. Skeletons were nice, but she had missed having someone soft to get close to.

The brunette rubbed her back lightly, sending a shiver down her spine, "Hey...do you need anything? I can get you a blanket or something."

She wasn't cold, despite her shivers. Gods, it was just, so...damn...hot.... She opened her eyes, the colour shifted to the soft glow of her magic, "Mmm...I'm not gonna lie...I think I've got what I need right here," she purred, moving faster than even she could think. Her lips crushed Kathy's almost bruisingly, her hand lacing in the other woman's hair, using the leverage to keep the other on top of her, as the redhead lay back on the couch pressing her tongue past her lips and groaning hungrily.

Kathy made a sound of surprise and protest, trying to turn her head away from the kiss, whimpering when Andra only tightened her grip on her hair.

The mage bit the human's lower lip, chuckling darkly and panting softly for breath as she began to nip and kiss along her neck, "Mmm...look at you...struggling all pretty..." She purred, her hand wandering a few inches under the other woman's shirt, tracing delicately over her skin, in sharp contrast to the somewhat rough bite Andra left at her collarbone.

"W-whoa, hey! Ow! Wait...Andra...stop, what the hell is wrong with you?!" She pressed her hands against her chest, trying to push her off.

She licked at the bite, shifting to press into Kathy's hands a little, "Hell if I know," she giggled, her magic a little brighter, "But I know that you can help...." 

The tone was almost seductive enough to be convincing, even to the straight woman, but her morals stood in the way for more than one reason, even as her eyes fluttered at the lick to the sensitive area at the joint of her neck, "H-hey...just...calm down, for a sec. I-I'll call Com, or--mmph!" She was cut off by another demanding kiss, as a hand tugged roughly at her shirt. The thin material strained, a small tear in the cloth growing and causing a satisfied growl from the mage.

The redhead pulled at the shirt, tearing it a little more, though she eventually relented, breaking the kiss to yank the shirt over her head, and toss it aside.

Kathy took advantage of the other releasing her hair to put distance between them. She was confused, and maybe a _little_ turned on, even if it was against her will, and worried for her friend, and...pissed off about her shirt. _She'd liked that shirt!_ Among all that, she was scared, though. For her friend...maybe of her friend. Her eyes wide, she scrambled back, backing away until she hit cool glass.

Andra gave a sultry giggle, stalking closer to the other female, cornering her quickly and pinning her to the large, thick-glassed window. Her glowing eyes ran down her body, and she smirked lasciviously, seeing the dull glow of the bite left by Serif through the thin material of her bra. She summoned a small flame, using it to singe the material, so that it fell away, before stepping close again, kissing along her neck, "Someone has been naughty," she purred, tracing around the mark the skeleton had left, with the tip of a single fingernail.

The brunette was frozen against the glass, her breath hitched, unable to move, nails digging into her palms at her sides, afraid that any action she took would be taken as invitation. She didn't know what was wrong with Andra, and she didn't know how to get to her phone to call Com. Her pulse was jumping in her throat, a detail which didn't go unnoticed by the aroused mage.

She chuckled darkly, "Mm...do I turn you on?" She asked, with a smirk, pinching her nipple and drawing a gasp from her, "No, no...you don't need to answer. I can see your answer written all over your face...."

"A-Andra..." she breathed, "N-no, I can't do this. I...you have Com. And G...." She blushed darkly.

The redhead giggled, "And?" She practically sang, leaning down to tease the flesh of her breast with her tongue, her hand tracing over her hip, inching the other's pants down just slightly.

"And..." She forced herself to open her eyes, unable to suppress a soft groan when she looked down. The mark left by Serif was still glowing on her opposite breast, "And I have Serif..." She blushed a darker red.

The mage grinned, "Mmm~well, we'll have to get some pictures for our boys, then, won't we?" She purred, making eye contact before biting down, pouring her magic into the other woman in a rush of heat and power, forcing a moan of pleasure and pain from Kathy as she threw her head back, her fingers lacing in the redhead's short hair before she knew what she was doing. The bite broke the surface of her skin, a bright, shifting glow of blue and purple magic mixing freely with the mark. She laughed softly, flicking her tongue over the now more sensitive skin there, "You scream so pretty, human~" she was losing herself more with each passing moment, "I want to hear that again." Her nails dug into the other woman's skin, pulling her closer, and leaving her magic in trails. Her magic was different from that of the monsters. It didn't fight for dominance, content to placate and own just a piece of the human squirming in her embrace. 

There was a slight twist of reality behind them, and brief silence, " _What the hell--?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention I swing both ways? No? Oh. Heh.   
> Hope you enjoyed.  
> \------------  
> As a side note, the winner of out Join the FFAD contest has been announced on our tumblr; http://fallingforadeal.tumblr.com  
> MeekoMyachi! She will be bringing one of her characters into the FFAD universe, and working with us to make this the best contribution we can! We're excited to work with her. She's a very talented writer, and you should definitely check out her work! If you're interested, she has a great story, right here on Ao3! For Whom The Skel Tolls. If you haven't read it yet, seriously, go do that now! It should help clean your brain a bit after this chapter. ^^  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/7185317/chapters/16307708


	22. Chew Toys and Sleepovers

Comic stared at the two women, eye-sockets wide with shock, before he finally managed to snap himself out of it. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought that she was...nah, but that wasn't possible was it? Then-again...he didn't know better. If this was what he thought....

"Comic!" The desperate, slightly moaned sound of his name pulled him out of his theorising, "Why are you just standing there? Get her off of me!"

Welp, that was one person he hadn't thought he'd hear moan his name.... He tried to suppress a light, bluish blush across his cheekbones, "Alright, alright. Calm down, and just...I'll take care of this." He could see Kathy's fingers involuntarily tightening in Andra's hair as the mage began to rub her through her pants. Yeah, no suppressing that. He moved over to them, wrapping his arms around Andra from behind and delicately replacing Kathy's hand with his own in her hair, "Hey, sweetheart...looks like you got yourself quite a toy there..." He purred to her, turning on the seduction, hoping to pull her attention away from the other woman.

The mage tilted her head back a little, eyes glowing as she looked at him over her shoulder, smirking, "And I'm about to have another," she practically growled back, reaching one of her hands back to press against his cervical vertebrae as he bit at her neck, causing her to gasp softly.

Kathy tried to scoot away when her arm moved, but she was pinned by her other arm and her hips. Comic shot her a warning look over Andra's shoulder, silently instructing her not to draw more attention to herself.

The skeleton gave her hair a little tug, "Are ya now? Looks like ya might have to choose," he replied, "And last I checked...you were mine." He bit down on her neck a little harder, her eyes fluttering shut as his magic burned in her, pain and arousal making her weak. Her nails scraped against his vertebrae, catching slightly, as he pulled her away from the other a little more, giving Kathy an opening to get out.

The human stumbled away, covering her chest with her arms and blushing darkly. The bite on her breast was bleeding a little, and glowing blue and purple with magic. 

Comic kept his attention on Andra, the woman turning around in his arms and dragging him tight against her, running her fingers down his shirt, fire magic burning away the fabric, allowing her to rip it away. Her nails scraped over his ribs, causing the skeleton to shiver noticeably.

Kathy bit her lip, inching around them, and moving to Andra's room to grab a shirt, since hers weren't here yet. She had to get out of here, but most of all, she had to give them some...privacy. _Before_ she got dragged into it again. As soon as she had the shirt, she rushed from Andra's room to her own, locking the door and leaning heavily against it. She had to get out of here as soon as they took a break...which would, hopefully, be soon.

* * *

 Words had nearly stopped between the two in the living room. Comic had been unable to resist her scent, or her magic, his own flaring in response, as he pinned her against the glass of the window, tearing her clothing off of her as she did the same to him, allowing her heat to take his mind.

She growled in fevered lust, biting and nipping at his cervical vertebrae, as two of his fingers plunged into her, coated in magic to soften them, and for extra stimulation. She moaned, the vibrations sending a shiver down his spine. He added a third finger, rubbing her clit with his thumb as she squirmed between him and the glass, his magic keeping her pinned.

He smirked, continuing to rapidly finger-fuck her, watching the needful pleasure on her face. If he'd had skin, he'd have been marked up by now. As it was, only some of the marks were showing, a light glow of magic criss-crossing his ribs where she scrambled to cling to him. He leaned in closer to her, nipping her ear gently, "Mine," he purred, causing a satisfying shiver down her spine. He trailed skeleton kisses down her neck, curling his fingers into her g-spot, making her writhe between him and the glass, as he massaged the sensitive bundle of nerves inside of her, "All..." he trailed his tongue over her neck, _"Mine."_ He almost growled the last word, biting into her shoulder and flooding her completely with his magic, wiping away every trace of any other magic that he could reach.

She overloaded, tumbling over the edge, blackness playing at the edges of her vision as she rode his fingers desperately. Agonised pleasure played across her features, and she was suspended somewhere in the midst of extreme need, even as climax tore through her viciously. She needed more. Gods, she needed more...it wasn't enough, she needed _more_ , dammit!

Stars, his sweetheart was fucking gorgeous when she screamed for him. He ran his tongue over the bruised and glowing bite he'd left, before pulling back to watch her, completely unfocused, as he forced pleasure on her. Of course he had been a bit jealous, even knowing she hadn't been able to stop herself. Even seeing her taking charge--and damn if that wasn't a turn-on--he couldn't stop his instincts from flaring up. He couldn't stop every part of him from wanting to claim her as his. He wondered if he might not take advantage of her heat to form a full bond with her, but he immediately threw that thought aside. She was his. She would _choose_ to be his.

He continued to piston his fingers in and out of her, watching her as her mouth fell open with a gasping moan, her expression slack with lack of control, wave after wave of pleasure crashing over her, even as a high-strung tension began to coil within her, twisting and leaving her too mindless to beg for more.

Before she could cum again, he pulled his fingers out of her, tasting her slickness, watching the pale mage panting for breath, resting heavily against the window, where he had re-positioned her centre of gravity. The cool glass had begun to fog up slightly, and he was glad for a brief moment that they were far enough above everything to make them difficult to see from the water-level. Another, less rational part, didn't care. He just wanted to hurry up and make her his. He took his time sucking her juices from each of his phalanges, meeting her eyes when she opened them, still panting desperately for breath. Her eyes were still clouded with magic, flickering between purple and blue, as unstable as ever. 

He brushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face, "Hehe...look at you...too worked up to think straight," he chuckled, his bones clicking together slightly as a fevered shiver rolled down his spine, "I didn't think I'd ever get to see ya like this, Sweetheart...." 

She turned her head toward his hand, kissing it lightly, before nipping gently at his carpals, flicking her tongue between his metacarpals and his proximal phalanges, causing his fingers to curl slightly, trailing the tips of his distal phalanges down her cheek, leaving soft, reddish marks above the scar on the lower part of her cheek, "Nnh.. _.more,"_ she managed with a breathy groan, sucking his thumb into her mouth and nipping at the tip gently.

Comic reached down between them, finally giving the painful pooling of magic there some attention, though it wasn't the attention that he was craving. He brushed the thumb of his right hand over her lower lip, before pulling his hand away, using it to shift her leg to drape over his hip, holding her in place, and spreading her wide for him as he used his other to guide himself to her entrance. He teased along the opening, watching her lashes flutter, her wetness dripping off of her.

She parted her lips to beg, but only breathy sighs of need passed them, as she tried to fight the increased gravity he had put her under to press against him, or tried use her leg to drive him into her, but only managed to drive her heel into the sensitive spot at the base of his spine. The skeleton tensed, groaning, his teeth parting to show his fangs, his hips thrusting forward just slightly, the head of his cock driving into her and making her moan needfully.

He breathed heavily, though he didn't strictly need to, leaning a little more against her, kissing her deeply and pressing himself fully inside of her, delighting at the low-pitched, lustful moan that vibrated in her throat. He let up on the gravity a little, and she immediately lifted her arms to wrap around him, her fingers wrapping loosely around his true-ribs. Light bruising had started on her hips where he gripped them, and her skin was starting to glow slightly with the combination of their magics building within her. 

His tongue slipped past her lips, wrestling with her own. His magic tasted like nothing she could describe in her current state of mind. All she knew was that it was addiction itself. She sucked gently on his tongue, massaging it, and meeting his thrusts as best as she could. She was still so sensitive from her last climax, still so close. Darkness continued to play around in her unfocused vision, and she could feel her soul pulsing in time to each thrust.

It wasn't long before her vision went staticky, black and white fireworks sparking behind her lids. She was flooded with magic again, forcing her own into him at the same time, pleasure ripping through both of them almost in tandem as the the magic swirled back and forth between them, freely mixing. She was...so...fucking... _c.l.o.s.e..._

Comic kept her riding the razor's edge for what felt like an eternity, but eventually, the building tension finally broke. Release crashed through her, leaving her completely at the mercy of her climax, and her mate. She clenched around him wildly, writhing with abandon.

His own breath came in heavy gasps, and he supported himself with one arm against the thick glass of the window, "Unh...f-fuck...Sweetheart," he groaned. Every time he thrust into her, she clenched around him like a vice. Pulling out drove her heel into the sensitive spot at the base of his spine. Her nails left trails of magical energy over his ribs. And she would be like this, and all _his,_ for the next few days at least. He thrust deep into her, his hips bruising her thighs as he came hard.

The pleasure and the magic were too much for Andra. She had a brief, few-second moment of clarity, as she realised, more or less, what had happened, but her vision had soon gone completely dark, her consciousness short behind it.

The skeleton took several minutes to get his scattered mind in order, releasing her soul from his magic and catching her. He was beat, himself, but he needed to check on his brother's human. He got his shorts back on, but his shirt was burned, and too torn to save. Whatever. He threw a fleece blanket off the back of the couch over the passed-out mage to keep her covered, in case Kathy chose to come out, before moving down the hall to knock on the door to the human's room, "Hey," his voice was a little lower-pitched than usual...understandably so, "Ya'lright in there?"

Kathy stared at the door, unable to believe the monster was still capable of standing. She reached out a shaking hand, unlocking it and opening it a few inches, "She would have killed me. She was literally going to _kill_ me. Forget me! Are you okay?" Her eyes flicked involuntarily over his exposed ribs, and the marks Andra had left, and a small part of her wondered if Serif would be more appealing without his shirt. She had a feeling the answer was yes, but she didn't want to think that, right now, "What's happening to her? She called me 'human,' and she bit me! That is _not_ normal."

Comic sighed, "I uh...don't have too long to explain," he replied, a light blue blush crossing his cheekbones, leaning against the doorframe as she opened the door a little more and stepped back, "Not sure how long she'll be passed out. But I can uh...explain a bit."

She crossed her arms, "Okay, so what happened?"

"I dunno a _lot_ about human biology, but I definitely know a thing or two about monsters," he rubbed the back of his skull, "We're all pretty different, but...since she seems to be ending up more and more like us...there's something that happens with adult monsters every so often. There's not really any documentation of it happening with mages, so...it's safe to say I'm pretty damn surprised, myself...." He cleared his non-existent throat, "Sorry about that. Went off on a bit of a tangent there. I guess uh...easiest way to put it is that...she's in heat."

The brunette stared, "In heat?" She asked slowly, "Like...an animal?"

He frowned slightly, "Well, it happens to monsters, like I said, but sure. Animals go through it, too. Just uh...without the magic. " He shook his head, "This can go anywhere from a few days to a week, and...what you saw and heard is just the start."

Her eyes widened, "I am _not_ staying here for that," she replied, going a little paler, "I'm not getting dragged into some sort of...orgy thing."

He rose a brow bone, "Ya sayin' I can't handle her on my own? Look, don't worry about it. I'll take her back to my place. You can get used to the new place," he replied, a slightly more noticeable blush crossing his cheekbones again, "And uh...if ya don't mind...maybe Paps and Serif could stay with ya a few days?"

She blinked slowly, "Um...I guess, yeah. That...that would be fine."

He nodded, "Cool. I'll have 'em bring over your stuff. Did you uh...take care of that bite?"

She blushed, crossing her arms a little tighter over her chest, "I-it started to scab over...." She muttered.

He sighed, "I know you're uh...tryna do the...slow thing? With my bro, but, uh...ya might wanna get him to look that over."

She covered her face, "How much has he told you?"

"Probably about as much as you've told Andra." He replied, "I gotta get out there before she wakes up, alright?" He fished around in his pocket for his phone, finding it and sending a text to his brothers, "I told Paps you were inviting him over for a housewarming sleepover. He knows about heats, but eh...I'm leaving that to you guys to explain to him." He was starting to show his exhaustion, "I'll see ya around." He turned to walk away.

She groaned, covering her face with both hands.

Comic paused halfway down the hall, "But hey, between her makin' a chew toy outta ya, and usin' me as her personal bone, she's a shoe in to join the k-9 unit of the Royal Guard, if she needs a job." He chuckled.

Kathy laughed from behind her hands, the sound surprised, and entirely against her will, as she dropped them to her sides, _"What?_ Oh, god, that was _bad!"_ She said between chuckles, relaxing a little.

The skeleton nodded, "Might still be true." He winked over his shoulder, continuing his walk to the living room, and scooping the unconscious mage into his arms. She was getting feverish again, and it wouldn't be long before she woke.

He took the shortcut, glad to finally be able to concentrate, even if it was only (very) temporary.


	23. Children and Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry I kept all of you waiting so long for an update!! I've been dealing with some awful writer's block, and you wouldn't believe the kind of rubbish going through my head lately! But I promise, we are not abandoning you lovelies! This story, and you readers, are too damn important to us!  
> In the meantime, we have some amazing fan works to share with you, from geekygiirl on tumblr! She is our own personal angel, and we don't deserve to have someone so amazing. And we definitely don't have her locked in the Void with Gaster and a computer, forcing her to read the fic over and over and over again, until it's her whole world.

[Also, check out this amazing advertisement she made for the fic. Seriously guys, it's fantastic! if you know anyone hesitant to read this, show them this video! Maybe it'll change their minds. X3](http://fallingforadeal.tumblr.com/post/153555030588/geekygiirl-falling-for-a-deal-animation-i)

* * *

 

The first few hours of getting everything settled were greatly expedited by Papyrus' presence. The jubilant skeleton seemed to know the exact wrong thing to say at the exact right time to alleviate the tension left behind by Kathy's heated roommate.

He seemed to have some idea of what had happened, and didn't pry more than to ask why she and Comic wouldn't be joining them. Serif had rattled off some excuse of him helping her get a job. Kathy had added that she might be trying for the Royal Guard, which had sent the taller skeleton into joyous rambling about the guard, and caused the shorter to shoot her a raised brow. 

A few more items for the house arrived at the door while they were unpacking boxes that they had already had delivered, all of them staunchly ignoring the scent in the room, until it dissipated. It was late afternoon by the time Papyrus suggested they invite Alphys and Undyne over for the housewarming sleepover as well.

Kathy tensed a little at the mention of Undyne, but still cracked a small smile. The fish woman _had_ given her a chance, when it came to Serif after all. Maybe they could be friends, "Hmm, that sounds good. And I haven't gotten to meet this Alphys person, yet."

"Excellent! I will call them! Undyne wanted to know how Serif was doing." Papyrus replied, taking out his phone.

Serif lounged on the couch, feet propped on an empty box, "You sure you're okay? Lettin' her over here, after...?" He trailed off, eyelights flickering for a moment. His voice was quiet, so his brother didn't hear.

She shook her head with a smile, "I'm fine. Thank you...I mean...I'm not gonna piss her off. But I'll be fine."

He slowly tilted his head back, resting it on the back of the couch, "Eh, I think you'll be fine. She's gonna have her kid and her mate with her, so she'll be pretty calm, all things considered," he replied.

She sat heavily on the couch next to him, "Kid?" She asked after a few seconds. She loved kids.

"Oh, yeah. Took a lot of her fire. She'd've killed you twenty times over if she hadn't calmed down so much," he muttered, "He's about eight now? That's monster years, though. I know humans do it differently."

"How old is he in human years?" She asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

He thought about it, "Ehh...I dunno, we aren't exactly born all tiny and helpless like ya humans are...so that mucks up the math a bit. Maybe...60, 70 years? It'd be...I think 90, if he _had_ been born as small as you guys. But since we're made of magic, it's a little...different."

Kathy choked on air, "Wh-what? _What?_ And he's a kid?" No wonder Toriel had been calling her a child.

He gave an amused chuckle, "That's not that bad. You wanna guess how old I am?"

"Shut up! I don't even want to think about that. Do you want me to give you a chance or not?" She blushed darkly.

He grinned, "What, ya don't like the idea of older guys?"

"Shut up, or you're sleeping on the floor."

He raised both hands in surrender, "Fine, I'll drop it."

She nodded lightly, quiet for a few moments, "So...if you ever had a kid...would they take that long to age, too?" She asked after a minute or so of silence, broken only by Papyrus talking from the hallway, her curiosity getting the better of her.

He blushed blue, glancing down and giving a small smile, "Heh...well, I could only have a kid with you. So...they'd be a mage, and...I'm not sure how it'd work, honestly. I mean, we're surrounded by magic, so they'd be more monster like...but...you're human, so...you'd be carryin' 'em for a bit. At least their soul, until they're ready."

She blushed darker, "Oh. _Oh,_ um...well, I'm not ready for that. That is...several, several dozen steps beyond living together in the scope of things. In fact, some people never take that step. Ah...s-sorry I asked." She covered her face with one hand.

He held up a hand, "Don't worry about it, Sugar, I get it. I'm not in any rush for kids myself. And uh...if you're worried about eh...accidents, that kinda thing...doesn't happen with monsters. We only have 'em if we want 'em."

She didn't uncover her face until Papyrus hung up the phone, returning to the room, "They will be here shortly!" He said excitedly, "They are going to bring snacks, and entertainment!"

Kathy finally dropped her hands, breathing a sigh of relief, "Awesome." It would be nice to have some distraction from the fact that her friend was currently in a near-feral state, all because of her body switching from more physical to more magical in nature.

It didn't take long for them to arrive, and when they did, she found herself immediately enamoured by the little boy.

He ran in ahead of his mothers, Undyne short behind him, scooping him up into a playful headlock, noogie combo, while both laughed loudly. Alphys stumbled in behind them, adjusting her glasses, "Oh! U-um, sorry for just b-barging in! H-Hiei uh," she giggled nervously, "T-takes after Undyne."

"Oh, no, no, it's fine! Don't apologise! It's fine! Please, make yourself at home. Did...you say his name is...Hiei?"

"Yeah! From that old anime, from like, a hundred years ago!" Undyne said excitedly.

"I know the one, I love anime!" Kathy replied, grinning widely and looking at the child, "And I bet you're just as awesome!"

He grinned, showing off a row of pointed teeth, "You know it!"

The night continued on, the six of them watching anime, and playing games, the more excitable of them fighting sleep as the night wore on.

When everyone finally settled down to bed, having gorged themselves on pizza that Alphys had had delivered--Kathy was so relieved to find that delivery pizza was a thing in the Underground--the sleeping arrangements once again left her and Serif sharing a bed. After her close call with Andra earlier that day...she wasn't sure how to feel. And having the mage's mark on her all day had to have been driving him crazy, at least if she was understanding any of this correctly.

She made sure the others were settled well, Papyrus on the couch, and Alphys, Undyne, and Hiei in Andra's room. The little boy had opted to snuggle between his parents, and Kathy honestly found the sight too adorable for words.

When she returned to her own room, Serif had settled on her new bed, already looking comfortable and...she hated to admit, looking like he was right where he belonged. He watched her carefully, as if reading her, before patting the bed next to him, "Come on, Sugar. Its been a long day."

For once she didn't hesitate. She crawled into bed, snuggling against him in her exhaustion and closing her eyes, "This isn't gonna happen to Andra every month is it?"

He rose a brow, "Is  _that_ how often humans are fertile? Damn. I knew you guys worked differently, but that was a bigger difference than I expected. Eh...probably only a week out of every...six months or so? But I can't be sure. Comic'll have a better idea, once she uh...calms down, and he can actually do a proper examination. Biology and medicine aren't exactly our fields of study, but we know enough."

"Enough for what?"

"Uh...enough."

She sighed, "Okay. Fine...I won't pry. I know when not to cross a line." Her fingers traced absently over his ribs through his shirt, without really realising it.

 He gave a soft shiver, though the feeling was anything but unpleasant, "You're uh...gettin' more comfortable," he said uncertainly, not sure whether it was a good idea to bring it up.

She paused a moment, but otherwise didn't move away, "I...guess I am."

He relaxed a little more when she didn't tense up, "I'm glad," he sighed, running his distal phalanges up and down her back, "I was afraid you might be a little more...eh...distant...after today."

She shifted slightly, crossing one arm across his chest so she could rest her head on it and look at him, "Do you do that too, then?" A slight blush tinged her skin, starting at her ears, and spreading into her cheeks as she tried to keep a straight face.

He contemplated playing dumb, and making her ask the question outright. She _was_ cute when she blushed, "Hmm...what were we talkin' about?" He asked teasingly.

She frowned at him.

"Oh, yeah. That. I eh...I go into heat, too. Not as often. And don't worry, I've got a lot more control than all that! You'll have some warning. I mean...uh...." A slightly glowing blue blush spread across his cheekbones, and his eyelights flicked away.

Kathy bit her lip. Okay, in spite of the subject matter, that was kinda cute, "So...no marking me against my will?"

He tensed a little, looking at her again, "She marked you? I knew something felt off, but you still had my magic on you, so I--"

"Crap, I forgot I hadn't shown you yet...." Her voice came out muffled, face hidden against his chest.

His humour faded a little, "Hey, look...it's alright, just...lemme see," he told her gently, brushing her hair back a little.

She sighed heavily, breath warm against his sternum, before she forced herself to sit up, pulling off her shirt, and her (now only) bra, still blushing as Serif watched her intently, not looking at him directly while he studied the mark on her breast, opposite the one he'd left, glowing a more purplish blue than his own, a little more vibrant, since it was fresher, and created physically. The magic glowed through the slight scabbing, and it was clear that Andra hadn't been in her right mind while creating it. 

He reached out, caressing her breast gently and tracing the mark, making her bite her lip as her nipple hardened involuntarily at the attention. She blushed, tensing a little and straightening her shoulders, her breasts pressing out slightly, face red, "I can heal it for ya, Sugar." He sounded hesitant, "I mean...it'll eventually fade on its own...but...." His discomfort was clear, even without her looking at him.

She took a slow, calming breath, trying to keep her mind from racing. She had said, earlier that day, that she had Serif. She had said it. That made it real. She...was his, at least a little. She forced herself to look up, meeting his eyelights, "It's...gonna hurt a little, isn't it?" She asked, "That's what Andra said it was like...."

He flinched, bringing his hand up to stroke her cheek, "Nah, don't worry...I'll do my best to make it feel good, okay? It ain't a big mark...I won't do more than you're comfortable with.... Just...tell me when you want me to stop."

She blushed darkly, biting her lip and nodding, giving a squeak of surprise when he grabbed her and shifted her to lie back, against the pillows, his fingers laced with hers for a moment, before tracing down her arm. It was...admittedly...a lot more comfortable.

He gave her a brief, not-too-heated kiss on her lips. She was still left wondering how a skeleton managed to make a kiss feel so damn good without lips, even as he moved down to nip gently along her skin, his eye lighting with healing magic, mixed with his own. He followed the same trail Andra had, releasing the magic into her slowly, waiting for her to begin tensing with pain, before easing up and gently massaging her opposite breast, tugging lightly at the nipple, sending confused sparks of arousal through her as her lips parted in soft panting.

His eyelights flicked up to watch her, his tongue slipping between parted teeth to run along the bite, releasing healing magic, along with his mark into her, to erase what the mage had done. Mixed pain and pleasure flooded her nerves as the magics fought for dominance within her. Andra's magic was like an arrow--it hadn't hurt going in, but coming out, sharp barbs dug in, and held on. 

She groaned, squirming a little as he gave another push with his magic, the glow rippling across her skin, before slowly absorbing in, "Aah! S-Serif..." She gasped softly, her voice squeaking slightly as a little more of the other magic was torn from her. She couldn't make sense of what she was feeling. Between the pleasure and the pain, and the indescribable electricity of his magic pulsing through her, and...

"You want me to keep going, Sugar?" He asked gently.

Kathy looked at him, eyes a little unfocused, "I..."

He gave a low chuckle that shot straight to her core, "That ain't a fair question right now, is it?" He asked, nuzzling against her breast slightly, tweaking her other nipple with his other hand.

She gave a soft gasp, "Don't stop," she said before she could think. Today had been too much. She just needed to stop thinking so much. She just needed to let something, anything, happen. And why not this? He was her soulmate, right? 

"You're not thinkin' clearly," he reprimanded gently.

"S'your fault...please don't stop...." She whined.

He almost smirked, "I'm not gonna take advantage of ya while you're like this, Sugar. You're healed up...why don't you get some rest?"

She squirmed a little, "You want me to rest like this?"

"That's the magic talkin' Sugar." He told her. Damn...she was so soft...he forced himself to pull away, lying down next to her and shifting her to pull her against him, her back to his chest, burying his face in her hair, "If ya still want to...when you're clear headed..."

"Serif..." She blushed darkly, "I...I told--"

"Tell me in the morning." He told her firmly, "For now...let's just sleep."

She bit her lip, before sighing softly, "O-okay," she almost whispered the word, snuggling back against him as he pulled the blanket over them, "You're a tease though."

He chuckled, the deep sound vibrating through his bones against her back, "I thought ya wanted to take things slow? I know what mixing healing and marking magic does to humans. Anyway...it was your turn to show me something about you tonight," he ran his hand lightly up and down her arm, "I mean...if we were gonna continue the pattern." He sighed against the back if her neck, making her shiver.

"Hmm...fine. I'll figure something out," she replied quietly, not sure what to show him about herself. There were some things she just wasn't comfortable sharing. But...agh, she had to get that stuff out of her mind, or he _would_ see it.

"Mm-hm," he hummed soothingly, nipping lightly at her shoulder, "Now go to sleep." He relaxed a little more behind her, eye-sockets closing with a soft "clink."

She smiled at the sound, finding the fact that him closing his eyes was audible somehow comforting, "Night...." She yawned.

"Night, Sugar," he mumbled, his words fading into soft, heavy breathing as he quickly fell asleep, soon dragging her under with him.


	24. Memories and Admissions

_The dream formed around them, the setting familiar and bright._

_Kathy breathed a sigh of relief. It was her high school. Her secrets were safe, for now._

_"Where are we?" Serif asked from beside her. The sun was rising, casting a pale glow on his bones._

_"My old school," she smiled softly, "This is where Andra and I met, when we were teenagers. In fact...I think this was her first day of school."_

_Another Kathy moved past them, much younger than the one who stood beside the skeleton, chatting with a group who had walked with her up to the gates of the school. She paused, looking at something they couldn't see from their angle, before saying a quick farewell to her friends and telling them she'd catch up with them later._

_A younger, ginger haired girl was standing near the entrance, looking utterly confused. A coffee was clutched in one hand, a beat-up, hand-me-down backpack hanging off of one shoulder. Her clothes were ill-fitting, and honestly, a little odd. It looked like she was trying to match four shades of black, while looking like a pirate. She constantly checked over her shoulder, clearly not comfortable with her surroundings, and when the younger Kathy walked to stand beside her, she tensed noticeably, looking at her like she had already threatened her, hiding behind hair that hung to her mid-back._

_"Hello,"  she said cheerfully, smiling pleasantly._

_The redhead tensed a little, "Hi...what do you want?" She asked, a little defensively, sipping her coffee._

_The shorter girl tilted her head, "I was just saying hi. You seemed a little lost. Do you need some help?"_

_The younger of the two rolled her eyes, "Look, I'm sure you're nice to everyone, but that's just...a really bad idea with me, okay? If anyone sees you talking to me, I'm not going to be held responsible for what happens." She held her coffee a little tighter, the paper cup bending under the pressure of her fingers as she finally moved, ducking her head to look straight at the ground, walking as if every person who came near her was a potential threat. She exuded an aura of "don't fuck with me."_

_Kathy frowned, "Hey, wait..." she jogged to catch up with the other girl's long strides, "You're new, right? I don't think anyone is gonna mess with you. If you want, I can show you to the office to get your new schedule."_

_"I got it already," she replied, peeking at the other through strands of red hair, pulling a piece of paper that had been folded several times over from her pocket. Her nails were painted with glittery black nail polish, growing unevenly. A small, pink safety pin pierced her pinky fingernail. A few small, noticeable scabs littered her fingertips. She unfolded the paper, begrudgingly showing it to the slightly older girl._

_"Oh! We're in the same homeroom! I can show you the way."_

_Serif and his Kathy followed behind the two, watching quietly. The dream blurred past some unnecessary bits. He occasionally asked questions about human customs, and she explained, but for the most part, they simply watched the scenes play out. The dreams had become a fantastic way to learn about one another._

_They watched as the two grew up together. They went through the awkward years, and joined teams and clubs, and spent weeks at a time at one another's houses, each of them growing into the people they were meant to be._

_For a couple of years after high school, the two separated. Kathy kept in contact, but she couldn't help her worry. It was while they were apart that she met her boyfriend._

_During this part of the dream, Serif tensed, but Kathy allowed it to continue, knowing that this part was important, too._

_They saw how she fell for him. He comforted her when she was upset. Took care of her when she was sick. He was a sweet guy. Ideal...for anyone. But...that was the thing wasn't it? Maybe...he wasn't...perfect. Not for her, anyway. Sure, he was someone's perfect guy, but...here she was, standing next to her soulmate, watching this other guy who...well, yes, who she still loved. Loved enough to be willing to let him go now, rather than later. God, why did it hurt so much to admit that to herself?_

_The dream continued on._

_They were together for years when he decided to go off to college in Ebott city. She encouraged him to go. Promised she would be there to visit him when she had the next semester started, and she was able to get enrolled._

_A week had passed when she got a late night phone call from Andra._

_"Mmm...hello?"_

_Crying from the other end of the line._

_She was instantly awake, "Hey, Andra, what's up? What's going on?"_

_"I...I don't know...what I'm gonna do, Kathy...."_

_"Deep breaths sweetie," she said soothingly, "Tell me what's going on. I can't help if I don't know what's happening."_

_"I..." She sniffled, "I can't...I don't..." She took a shaky breath before trying again, "I d-don't know what...I d-did wrong, but...I got...k-kicked out. And...now I...I don't have anywhere to go. I don't know what I'm gonna do. I mean...I can st-stay on my brother's couch for a couple of days, but...I don't know what I'll do after that...."_

_The brunette flinched, "Hey, hey--calm down! It's gonna be okay. Gimme a minute, alright? I'm gonna see what I can do...how much notice do you have to give your job?"_

_The other woman's sniffles silenced for a moment, "Wh-what?"_

_Kathy smiled gently, getting her laptop booted up, "I'm not letting you panic yourself into a corner, Andra. I'm offering to fly you out here."_

_"Oh my gods, K-Kathy, you're...you're not really doing this, are you?" She asked in shock._

_"Of course I am, hon. I've got the money to spare. Flights are cheap this time of year."_

_The other was crying again, her words entirely incoherent._

_The rest of the time until they fell went far too quickly._

* * *

Andra straddled Comic's hips, one hand braced on his ribs, leaning on the pillow with one arm as she collapsed against him, utterly exhausted. His magic was still materialised inside of her, but after the...week? How long had it been? Fuck if she knew...it was almost more comfortable to feel him filling her. She twisted her hips slightly, burying her face against his sternum with a soft groan.

Her body was drenched in sweat and magic, as was the skeleton underneath her. As they had constantly fed magic into one another, she had been able to see the extent of his abilities when it came to his ecto parts, giving her a chance to explore some of her more...kinky fantasies. Not that she had really been...aware of herself while they'd been going through those particular kinks. Gods be damned, what all had she told him? Ahh....she didn't have the energy to be embarrassed.

"Tired Sweetheart?" He purred from underneath her, his hands coming up to trace along her waist. Her feverish skin was finally beginning to cool.

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded, pulling back a little to look at him. A few strands of hair stuck to her skin. The rainbow dye had faded, not entirely, but noticeably, the artificial pigment not standing up well against the high concentration of magic. Her natural hair colour had been tinged a bluish colour, a few purple streaks running through it, though the ends of the mohawk still held stubbornly onto the rainbow dye.

He brushed her hair back, rolling her onto her back easily, and resting his forehead against hers, "Lemme take care'a ya, Sweetheart..." He told her quietly, nibbling gently at her lower lip, causing a shiver down her spine as he thrust lazily into her, filling her deliciously.

"Nnh!" She gave a soft moan, sensitive from over-stimulation. 

He chuckled at her reaction, placing one hand on her chest and summoning forth her soul. He'd figured out while she was unconscious that her soul was only being used as an anchor for his father...the old man still had his own, thank the stars. So that made it possible to treat his mate the way he was supposed to during her heat.... He gave another shallow thrust, at the same time tracing is fingers along a fissure between the blue and the purple parts of her soul, causing her to part her lips in a guttural moan, as the undiluted magic stained his distal phalanges. 

His tongue flicked out, tasting the slightly tilted heart as he cradled it in one hand, running his thumb over it lovingly while he continued to take her slowly. Her magic was intoxicating. A wild combination of flavours. Somehow spicy, and sweet, and earthy, all at the same time, crackling on his tongue like popping candy, but warmer. It was addictive, and he couldn't stop, though he knew he would have too soon.

The mage twitched and writhed underneath him, too tired to make more of an effort, even as he drew all sorts of lewd sounds from her. Her climax was intense, and she wasn't entirely sure if it counted as multiple or not.

When she finally recovered from it, Comic had put her soul back, and was cradling her against his chest, running his fingers through her hair. He had finally pulled out of her, and she was acutely aware of every ache and pain in her body. Every mark he'd left, and she'd begged for. 

"You're so damn beautiful," he muttered against her hair, "Ya need anything?"

Andra groaned softly, trying to think, "Gods...I...what just...I mean, I _kind of_ know what happened, but... _seriously,_ what happened?"

He ran his hand up and down her back, "Short version, ya went into heat," he told her, "Long version...might wanna wait until you've had some time to recover."

She was a little more awake, "Heat? Like...a strong urge to...oh, gods...I.... How did we find out about this?"

He gave her a sheepish grin, "Interesting story actually, but it can wait until after I take proper care'a ya." He kissed her briefly to silence further protests, and she quickly acceded, sighing into the kiss. When she finally relaxed, he got up, scooping her into his arms.

She squeaked, clinging to him tightly, "Com, put me down! What the hell are you doing!"

"I won't drop ya," he laughed softly, taking a shortcut to the bathroom just across the hall. He used his magic to get the bath started, testing the temperature, before getting in with her. He didn't displace much water, but he had overfilled it slightly, out of habit. When the both of them got in, the water rose to the edge of the large tub, reaching their chests when they relaxed.

The mage didn't know how it was so comfortable lying on top of a skeleton. Magic was her only guess. Made the bones more malleable, and gave him some vague softness that wasn't exactly there, but gods, was it totally there. 

The water had begun to cool when Comic finally began to wash them both off, not giving her the chance to do it herself. He was careful to leave traces of his magic behind, not to scrub anything away too thoroughly. Once they were both clean, they both got dressed in some of his clothing and headed downstairs.

While his sweats were a little tight at the hips, they were passable.

Andra rested her chin on her arms as the skeleton ordered breakfast from Grillby's. The place didn't normally deliver, since Snowdin was so small, but once Comic had explained the situation--much to her chagrin--the fire elemental had agreed to bring them something to eat.

He hung up, settling across from her at the table, grinning at her, "You weren't blushing like this last night."

She hid her face, "Because I had no standards last night."

"Ouch. That one actually stung a little, Sweetheart," he replied teasingly.

"Did you have to tell him I was in heat? Gods be damned...why not just tell the whole damn Underground that I turned into a raging sex addict for a week?"

"I think, with how loud you were screamin', at least the neighbours've figured it out." He smirked.

She paled, lifting her head to stare, "Com, what the hell?! There are kids in this neighbourhood, dude!"

He chuckled, shaking his head, "Don't worry Sweetheart, I'm teasin'. No one heard a thing. Neighbours are far enough away, they can't overhear anything on accident, and we were on the second floor. You were fine."

She calmed a little, slowly smiling, and shaking her head, "You are damn lucky I love you," she replied with a soft laugh.

A blue blush crossed his features at her words, and his eyelights flickered for a moment, "What did you just say?"

She paused, putting a hand over her mouth, suddenly pale. Had she actually said that out loud? First? Would it be better or worse to go back on it now? Oh gods, what if he didn't feel the same? What if that wasn't really what she was feeling? What if she was getting ahead of herself? It had just _slipped out!_ She hadn't meant to say she loved him! Did she? She certainly felt...something. Something amazing, but...holy shit, she was about to start panicking. This wasn't really happening. She couldn't open up this quickly. Sex was one thing. Her soul, sure. Her heart...her emotions...it was something else, wasn't it? It always had been to her....

"Andra?" His voice had a hint of desperation in it, but her voice was trapped in her throat.

She couldn't bring herself to speak. She couldn't say it again, or deny what he'd heard.

A knock sounded at the door. Neither of them moved. 

Maybe he'd say it back....

Maybe he hadn't heard what he thought he had....

 The knock was more insistent this time. Still, neither of them moved. There was a brief delay before the lock clicked, and the door opened, "...........Comic? I brought food."

 "I...I need to go to the bathroom," she said quickly, teleporting out of the room without even thinking about it, locking the door and clutching the sides of her head. She didn't have a phone. She was simply alone with her thoughts. She wasn't about to unblock Gaster. Not after however long she'd been...how she'd been. She just needed to...clear her head.

Downstairs, Grillby walked into the house, shutting the door behind him and going into the dining area, setting the somewhat greasy bag of food down, ".......Where's your mate?"

"She uh...just popped upstairs," he ran his hand over his skull, not looking at the fire elemental.

He crackled a little worriedly, moving to sit down. He could afford to take a few minutes away from the bar. He had practically raised the skeletons, after their father had disappeared. Admittedly, the twins had been old enough to take care of themselves, but that didn't mean that they hadn't needed a helping hand. And he had known their father...even if...he had some trouble remembering back that far, sometimes, ".......Com.......something is bothering you."

The skeleton shot the other male a nervous grin, a little flushed now. His eyelights flickered again, "I uh...I think she said...she loves me."

The elemental grinned, actually showing his smile, crackling warmly as he put off a small amount of heat, "........that's good," he replied, placing a warm hand on Comic's shoulder, ".........you seem nervous............." He chuckled.

He relaxed a little, "She uh...kinda froze up after she said it. An' I uh...wasn't sure I heard her right, so...."  He looked away.

Grillby rose a barely visible brow, "........you didn't say it back........"

"An' now she's hidin' upstairs...." He sighed, pinching his nasal bone lightly.

"........if she is just coming off of a heat..........she'll be highly emotional.......it's not a good time to leave her vulnerable like this. I knew a few mages on the surface.......it wasn't common for them to go into heat........but those mated to monsters sometimes did."

He flinched, "Shit...." he mumbled, standing up, "Thanks for the food, Grillby."

"...........delivery is extra," he told him, a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes behind his glasses as he stood as well, ".......go take care of your mate.......I'll add the food to your tab." He turned to leave, while Comic headed upstairs, taking the time to actually walk as he thought through how to talk to Andra, and tell her how he felt about her.

The mage sat on the floor of the bathroom, her back to the door, as she tried to get her head together. Did she really love him? Did she even know the meaning of the word? What if she just ended up hurting him by inviting him in like this? It wasn't like...she could give all of herself. Not with his dad living in her fucking head. How was that even going to work? Yes, he'd been blocked out for sex, but...what if...they got together more permanently? Mated or whatever? What if they wanted kids or something? Not that she wanted kids...what if he wanted kids? Would they argue about that? And hell, assuming they didn't argue, and they did want kids, it wouldn't exactly be fair to Gaster to make him carry his own grandkids. How the fuck would that even work? Would it even work that way? That was assuming he returned her feelings. Assuming she felt those feelings. This was probably just panic twisted in a very strange, very specific way. It would pass, and then...things...couldn't go back to normal. She had already said the three words.

She jumped audibly when she heard Comic lean against the other side of the door, sliding into a sitting position, "Ya'lright in there, Sweetheart?" He asked after a few seconds, giving her a chance to catch her breath.

"F-fine."

He sighed, leaning his head back against the door with a soft "thump" as he tried to get his words straight. He wanted to give her space, but at the same time, he wanted to pull her against him and tell her he had been waiting to hear her say those words from the moment he had laid eyesockets on her. Not that there had been any pressure...he'd've been happy with her, even if she'd never said it.

They both sat in silence for several minutes, when he finally spoke, "I love you, too, Andra," he told her firmly, shifting to stand again. He could hear her frozen on the other side, not even breathing for a few seconds before she scrambled to her feet again, unlocking the door and opening it.

She stared at him for several seconds, "What did you just say?"

He blinked audibly, before chuckling, his grin relaxing as he did, moving to pull her into his arms, "I love you," he tilted her head back slightly, kissing her deeply, making her groan lowly as she wrapped her arms around him for support. When he broke the kiss, his eyelights flickered into hearts for a brief moment, "And I'll say it again as often as you want."

She panted for breath, grinning back, "That...was adorable," she laughed softly, tracing her thumb along his cheekbone, "I...gods, I've never actually said this to someone before...I love you too." She blushed noticeably, "I love you..." She laughed with a mixture of nervousness, and elation.

He rose a brow bone, "What was adorable?" He asked, still grinning.

"Your eyes," she laughed, "I mean the lights in your eyesockets. They turned into little hearts. It was cute. Did you do that on purpose?"

He gave her a sheepish grin, "Ah...nope. That's uh..." he blushed.

Her grin widened, "It's so cute! Like one of those old timey cartoons where the male protagonist falls for the femme fatale," she giggled.

The blue spread across his face a little more, "Come on, Sweetheart. Our food is gettin' cold."

"Grillby's food takes forever to get cold," she replied, smirking. She blinked lightly, not sure which one of them had taken the shortcut back downstairs. She couldn't even accuse him of being lazy, for multiple reasons. One, she was using the same magic just as much, and two, he had just kept up with her for a week. She was exhausted, too.

They sat down for their meal, taking the greasy food out of the bag and laying it out. The high calorie meal was ideal, after all the energy they had expended. This was...perfect. So...this was love? Heh...how could it feel so...complicated and so simple, all at the same time?

His eyelights flickered into hearts again, drawing another smile from her, making her stare for a few seconds, meeting his gaze as he watched her, "I can stare too," she teased from behind her burger, quickly grabbing his phone.

He laughed, "What're ya doin'?" He asked, dunking a fry in an unhealthy dose of ketchup.

She snapped a photo, catching the heart eyes just before they disappeared in the wake of the flash. She set her food down, wiping her hand on the borrowed sweatpants and taking the phone with both hands, "I needed a picture of you being cute for my contacts," she replied, "My phone is still in Waterfall." She texted the picture to herself.

He rose a brow bone, "Oh? Y'know this means revenge, right?" He smirked, taking the phone back from her.

"You won't surprise me anytime soon, _sweetheart,"_ she purred teasingly, "You're not snapping a candid photo of me if I can help it."

"Challenge accepted."


	25. Out and On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience in waiting for chapter updates. I apologise for my slowness, and I hope to get back to regular updates soon.  
> As you might notice, I've added MeekoMyachi as a coauthor. I'm happy to have her on the team. While I will still be doing the majority of the writing, she now has access to my drafts, and will serve as a motivator to keep me writing. Not to mention, she did win our Join the FFAD raffle, didn't she? ;)  
> In other news, our artist, if you haven't heard, unfortunately had her tumblr account hacked. I am not currently in contact with her, so there will not be any new art for the story for awhile, unless I draw it. I don't have Bunny's skill, but I can at least attempt if I feel it's necessary. Still, I know ya'll prefer me as a writer, so I'll mostly stick with what I'm best at.  
> She might be making a new account after the holidays, but there are no guarantees. We'll just have to wait and see. I'm as in the dark as you guys are.  
> Thanks again for your patience and for reading guys. I love ya'll lots. And I hope you all had a merry Gyftmas!  
> ~xXx~ The Lemon Queen

They took their time getting ready to go. It was late in the day by the time they made it back to the new place, all of Comic's attempts to catch her off guard for a candid photo failing, as she managed to pose for, or hide from, each one.

But she could feel a dull sort of tension twisting in her stomach just before they took the shortcut back. That anxiety, that gripped at her nerves. She was about to have a talk. Why couldn't she go more than a few hours without having a talk? Dammit...and after this, she'd probably need to face Gaster, and apologise for...whatever had forced him so deep into the recesses of her mind that apparently he couldn't even comment at a direct thought of him. That probably meant taking a short nap to go into the Void herself and get him. She flinched at the thought, a strange mix of panic and exhausted arousal twisting through her. Why was she already anticipating the results of their meeting? Just because she had admitted her love for his son, and he was so damned possessive....

Would she wake again, without Comic's mark on her? Would this pleasured pain become a regular thing? Or was there a way to help him, and still make him understand that her heart was her own? Even if it fluttered at the thought of getting bent over and held fast by his extraneous hands as he...gods, she had to stop. She had just come out of a heat. How long were these sort of thoughts going to continue? She could have sworn, they were stronger than they had ever been before.... Or maybe that was just him trying to pierce her mental block.

"Hey," Comic gave her hand a squeeze, "Come on. We're here. Looks like the others are out."

She sighed, "Great."

"What wrong?" He asked, concern furrowing his brow, his smile fading only a little.

She shook her head, "I...need a nap."

He flinched, figuring out what she was getting at pretty quickly, "You have to check in on my dad."

"Yeah," she replied, "I was avoiding him enough before the heat...but he's been locked in the Void for however long its been with no contact with anyone. A week? And who knows if it was effecting him t--"

Comic growled at that, the sound unexpected and startling, "I don't want you going to him alone," he snapped between his teeth, his eyelights disappearing.

"Com..." she groaned, "We both know how it went when I tried not sleeping..."

"We'll dreamshare," he replied firmly, "Like Kath and Serif've been doin'."

She blinked slowly, "But...wait, _can_ we? I don't have normal dreams. I go to the Void when I sleep."

"Then you can come to my dreams," he told her, "They're...not always the best, but they're better'n _nothing_."

"And what if this is letting your father into your head too? Anyway, you still haven't addressed if we can even do this with the contract I have signed with him."

"We can, if we're soulmates." He replied. Apart from her heat, they hadn't really had a chance to dream next to one another without interruptions since they had met.... They really hadn't had the opportunity to test it out. Either he had been awake, or she had, or they had been too exhausted for dreams.

She smiled nervously, "Gee, that's no pressure."

He gave a soft chuckle, "I've got no doubt about it, Sweetheart." 

"Glad one of us is confident."

He grinned, "I've  _seen_ your soul," he replied, leading her to her bedroom.

She blushed, "You did more than that."

"Ah, so ya remember that part."

"Shut up," she covered her face with one hand, smiling lightly. She crawled onto the bed, thankful that his clothes were comfy. He was close behind her, pulling her against him and burying his face against her short hair, "Any way to...guarantee this works?"

He rose a brow bone, "There's uh...one way...but, I think it's a bit early for that, Sweetheart. We'll talk about that another time, alright? I know this'll work. No doubt in my mind..." He brushed her hair back, "You're mine."

She shivered lightly, "Fair enough," her voice was a little faint.

He continued running his phalanges through her hair, making her relax a little more, "An' I'll tell him that, too...I ain't lettin' him touch you again. I'm gonna be there. Every time."

She lifted her head for a moment, looking at him, "You asking to move in?"

He met her eyes, shrugging where he lay, "Not exactly...just...thought you could...sleep at my place part time, and I sleep here part time. Beats the hell outta sleepin' alone." 

The mage slowly lay back down, letting him pull her tight against him again, "I suppose that's true..." she said softly.

"That's assumin' this works," he added, stroking her hair again.

She smiled against his chest, "What happened to that confidence? And what, you wouldn't want to be there for me if we weren't--?" Her smile faded.

He stiffened, "Hey, no, no. I ain't saying that, Sweetheart," he told her, "I'm here for you as long as you'll have me...I'm just sayin' we'd have to rethink our strategy to keep my old man's hands off of you."

She slowly smiled again, laughing softly, "Okay." Her voice was a little softer.

They lay there in silence for awhile, his hand in her hair lulling her to a comfortable sleep. Her scent swirled around in his skull, calming him, and making him feel...content. But a sense of deep-rooted unease wasn't far behind.

* * *

 

_Gaster wasn't surprised to see Andra appear in the nothingness of the Void. She was practically glowing with his son's magic, the brighter blue than her own staining her ephemeral form from head to toe. He supposed he should have guessed that he would have been along to help her with her heat eventually. The scientist hadn't expected to be blocked so thoroughly from her mind, though._

_True, he could tune out the goings-on, while she was doing things he'd rather not see, but even his attempts to check in on her had been entirely blocked._

**_"I assume you had an eventful week,"_ ** _he couldn't keep a small amount of venom from his voice, his existence flickering for the briefest of moments as he disappeared and reformed near her, **"Little mage."**_

_Andra blushed, tensing and not looking at him. Had he been able to do that before? She couldn't recall, "Well, I wouldn't know. I can't really remember it."_

**"Fascinating."**

_She frowned, "Don't use that sarcastic tone with me you ass," she snapped, looking up, "I didn't exactly know what was going on when it hit. I'm damn lucky Comic came in when he did. Not only do I_ not _belong to you...in_ that _way," she blushed again, a little darker, "But you don't even have a physical form yet, so you couldn't've helped me if I wanted you to."_

_He narrowed his sockets, a bit more expressive than he had been the last time she'd seen him in a dream, **"I have a fair bit more experience dealing with heats than you. I could have suppressed the urges long enough to get you through the week without...help,"** he replied distastefully,  **"But you chose not to listen to me when I told you to turn over control to me."**_

_"It's not my fault that my brain stopped translating what you were saying," she replied, narrowing her eyes right back at him._

**_"That's no excuse,"_ ** _he stepped closer, **"That should have been one more clue that something was not right."**_

_"Oh, I'm so fucking sorry I don't have your deductive reasoning skills, G."_

_She suddenly felt one of his hands close around her neck, lifting her effortlessly, cutting off air that her ephemeral form didn't need as he looked her in the eyes, though it was uncomfortable, and a little panic inducing nonetheless, **"It seems you have to be reminded of your place, Little Mage,"** his voice was low and dangerous._

_"Get your hands off'a my mate," Comic growled from behind him._

_Gaster tensed noticeably, turning to face the shorter skeleton, only slightly surprised by his arrival. He had known that they were destined to be together in this timeline. That didn't necessarily mean they were soulmates, but it seemed that it was the case here. Well...this was going to make things...problematic._

_"Dad, drop her," he said firmly, "You're makin' it real damn hard to give a shit about this contract you've got with her. You've got two options. You can drop her, and take this up with me directly, or you can keep goin' down the path you're on, and I'll do all I can to make sure that contract is as shattered as you are." His magic flared, light blue and yellow flickering from one eye-socket._

_His eyelights flickered, and he dropped her, leaving the mage coughing and panting for breath on what served as the ground behind him, holding her throat._

_"Y'alright, Sweetheart?"_

_"F-fine...no thanks to_ you,  _Gaster," she grumped, glaring at his back, her own magic flaring._

 **_"Don't be dramatic,"_ ** _he replied, sounding bored, **"So what is your intention? Do you plan to fight me?"**_

_Comic shook his head, "Only if you don't gimme a choice. I ain't stupid. Most everyone may've forgotten you, but I still remember. Your magic hits like the whole mountain is falling on ya," he replied, calming a little, hands shoved in his pockets. He would be the rational one, here. Rationality and logic were always the key to winning any arguments with his dad, or at least they used to be. He just had to hope that all his time in the Void, and the temper he'd picked up from his connection to Andra's soul hadn't messed with that balance too badly.  
_

_He rose a brow bone, sighing heavily and offering one of his unattached hands to help the humanoid to her feet, **"Valid point. At least I know I didn't raise a fool, even if I suspect you're just trying to stroke my ego."**_

_She took his hand after a moment, allowing the help and dusting herself off unnecessarily, before moving to stand a little closer to Com, "Well, that's all you're getting stroked from now on. Not that it isn't big enough already. Can we get on topic?"_

_Her mate flinched, "Sweetheart, will ya let me do the talking?"_

_Gaster was almost amused, **"Andra is perfectly capable of speaking for herself. In fact, I've found her to be**_ **very** _**vocal at times. I'm sure you've had similar experiences."** Maybe he just wanted a reaction. Maybe he was genuinely attempting a joke. Even he wasn't sure._

_She blushed, glaring now, "Okay, shut up about that! I wasn't thinking before I spoke."_

**_"Well, you are the topic of discussion, are you not?"_ **

_"Not_ that _," she replied firmly._

_Comic clenched his hands into fists in his pockets, but remained outwardly calm, closing his eye-sockets, "I don't see that much needs to be said, old man. I get that you're trapped in this pit, with no other interaction, and that sucks. But, bottom line, she's off limits."_

_His jaw stood out slightly, **"And what, pray tell, makes you think you could stop me?"**_

_"Serif would help me, no questions asked. You know as well as I do, we got more determination than the average monsters, dad. I think we could find a way. Maybe get a little help from Kathy, if she finds out her friend isn't willing...we'll have that contract broken in no time. Alternatively, we could be helpin' you and Andra with the research to get you outta here, and givin' you both more free time in the meantime."_

_The rainbow haired woman perked up, "Free time you could be using, maybe to...find someone else? I really don't care what happens with my body, G. As far as I'm concerned it's a vessel. As long as you don't touch me, anymore...I'm fine with you using my body to be with someone else."_

  _He was silent for a few seconds, watching her carefully, **"An intriguing proposal,"** he finally said, crossing the arms that were attached,  **"I assume we would be dividing our time up more evenly?"**_

_"We'd have to work out a schedule, yeah," she replied, "But I think it could work. You deserve to have your own life. But dammit, G, you have to sleep, too. I can't keep spending all the time you give me asleep. I've been bloody exhausted."_

_Comic looked a little uncomfortable with the solution, "He didn't used to sleep when I was a kid, either," he commented, "So, how exactly is this gonna work, then? I know some physical stuff changes when Dad is controlling your body...."_

**_"You're asking if your mark will remain on her while I am in control?"_ ** _He asked, almost smirking, **"While I could theoretically carry the mark over, and consequently have it erased, I would have to make an extra effort to do so, and that would just be petty, wouldn't it?"**_

_"Have I ever told you that you can be an ass when you want to be?" Andra commented, sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose.  
_

**_"I'm certain that if we haven't already had this conversation, we will again,"_ ** _he replied, **"I will...attempt to give myself more leisure time. We can talk out scheduling when you are awake, and perhaps work out a way for me to communicate with you when I am in control. I'll make no guarantees of finding someone else, but perhaps the emotional stimulation will do me some good."**_

_Com actually seemed to relax a little, but he was still on guard, "I'm still gonna be in her dreams, every night, from now on...." He warned._

_He sighed, arms still crossed as he rubbed his forehead with a third hand, **"Well, at least try to make your dreams interesting, if I'm going to be dragged along, then."**_

_"I think we can manage that much, between the two of us," Andra chimed in, "Let's just agree, though...sleep is a no bone zone, hmm?"_

_Both of the males suppressed a similar snort of laughter, though one was more flustered than the other, and for a moment it was clear to tell that they were related._

_Gaster actually allowed himself to chuckle, **"That's...funny for reasons you might not realise, Little Mage."**_

_"Dad, leave the multiverse stuff outta this for now," Comic shot him a look._

_He rose a brow bone, **"Still aware, I see. The flower alluded to it not long ago. But I suppose you're right. It is a little early to burden her with the responsibility."**_

_She frowned, "You guys keeping secrets from me?"_

_"Don't worry about it sweetheart."_

_"Is there gonna be a lot of this with you two getting along?"_

**_"That is a strong possibility,"_ ** _Gaster replied with a shrug and a smirk, **"There's no need to let it get to you. It's nothing of consequence for the moment."**_

 _She rolled her eyes, "Fine, if that's the price for me to have my_ mate _," she shot Comic a look, raising an eyebrow. The word hadn't gone unnoticed, "And for you two to get some father-son time, I'll deal with it."_

**_"Good. All of that being said...while I agree not to lay a hand on you sexually, if you go and get yourself killed again, I cannot be held responsible for my temper."_ **

_Andra flinched, pressing her lips together._

_Comic looked between the two, sockets narrowed, but said nothing._

_"I'll just have to make sure I don't die again, then, huh?" She finally replied, running a hand roughly through her hair._

_"Sounds like a plan to me," the shorter skeleton chimed in, slipping his arm around her, "So uh...if we're done talkin'...."_

_"Do you mind giving us a kick-start awake, G? I only went to sleep to get you out of the Void. I didn't mean to block you off like this...."_

_**"You should really learn to have more precise control over your own body, Little Mage,"** he replied, his eyelights flickering a moment.  
_

_Before she could reply, the dream began to fade, nothingness giving way to regular darkness, a hand in her hair, and comfortable clothes that hugged her curves just slightly._

* * *

 

She opened her eyes, placing a hand on Comic's humerus, shaking him gently awake, "Hey," she said softly, "Hey, Com, wake up."

He stirred a little, sockets opening, a slow grin spreading on his face, "I could get used to wakin' up next to you," he said softly.

"Mm...you'd better," she replied, wiggling a little closer in the warmth of the sheets. She was vaguely aware of voices on the other side of the door, though she couldn't hear them unless she held her breath for a moment. Seemed the others were back from wherever they had gone, though. That was the next conversation she would have to have. Discussing whatever the hell had happened at the start of her heat...

A sudden flash broke her out of her thoughts, and she turned her head toward Comic suddenly, blinking away the spots in her vision to see his phone in hand, a wide grin plastered across his face, "I _finally_ got you," he snickered, holding the phone out of her reach.

"Oi! What the hell Com!" She was laughing despite her indignity, "Oh, it's on, now."

"Fair's fair, Sweetheart," he purred.

 _"You_ were being cute--I was just thinking! Candid photos of me look awful!"

"I happen to think you're gorgeous," he tapped away at his phone, "And if you get any ideas about deleting it, it's already posted up on the Undernet."

She stared at him, "You _what?"_

He logged out before handing her the phone, smirking, "See?"

The picture of her was simply labelled, "mine."

She stared, "You've gotta be kidding me," she said slowly, looking at him again, a small grin tilting her lips in spite of herself.

"Nope."

She laughed, handing him back his phone and caressing his cheek with one hand, kissing him for a few seconds, "I love you, ya fuckin' dork...it's still on."

 


	26. Markets and Mages

Serif balanced a bag of groceries in one arm while holding the door open for Kathy, Papyrus bringing up the rear with a double armload.

Shopping in the Underground was...interesting, to say the least. They had a sort of...open air market. If it could be called that underground. It only ran once a week, on the docks of Waterfall. Vendors from all over the Underground came, and sold their goods from boats, while the generally quiet part of the monster kingdom became bustling with activity. Of course the city, New Home, had a proper grocery, but this served the rest of the Underground quite well, bringing a welcome variety. 

The vendors had shop-fronts in their own regions of the Underground as well, and they would sometimes include special deals for those who travelled there from other regions because of the market. It wasn't a secret or anything, but it was nice to offer the courtesy to those who had to go a long way for a product they enjoyed.

"That market was so cute!" Kathy set her bag down in the kitchen, before moving to help Papyrus with one of his, "All the boats, and shops--I can't believe they come from all over the entire mountain."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Human!" The taller skeleton replied cheerfully, "If it was to your liking, perhaps we can take a day to go to the shops around the Underground!"

She grinned, "I would like that," she replied, going about putting the food away, separating it from what the skeletons had bought the best that she could. Admittedly, theirs was mostly spaghetti ingredients, some sort of monster off brand of Lunchables, and dinosaur egg oatmeal, but there were a few other things picked out by Serif as well.

As they were putting away food, some shuffling sounds came from the direction of Andra's bedroom, catching Serif's attention. When the door opened, revealing his twin and the mage, he wasn't the slightest bit surprised.

Andra blushed a little, knowing full well that the marks from the past week were all-too-obvious, "Hey, long time no see. Hope I didn't cause too much trouble before I got dragged out of here."

"Depends on your definition of trouble," Serif replied, glancing from her to his brother, "How long've you two been back?"

"Couple hours, give or take," Comic answered, "We heard you guys come in, so we figured it was about time to get out of bed."

Papyrus stood in the kitchen near Kathy, glancing down at her, "Perhaps...it would be best if I returned home. Someone needs to put the groceries away, now that you two aren't selfishly taking up the house to yourselves."

It didn't get past the blunette that his tone had gone from just briefly uncertain, to its normal one of confidence. 

"That's a good idea Paps," the taller twin supplied.

"Want me to take you?" the shorter added.

He shook his head, gathering their own groceries back up, "No, that is alright! I will walk. I needed to stretch anyway. You four talk!" He gave them a cheerful smile as he hefted their bag into an arm, moving toward the door, "I expect to see you all for dinner later!"

When the door shut behind him, the others exchanged a glance. Seemed their plans for the evening had been decided.

Andra moved to sit down at the small dining table, crossing her arms on the surface, "Alright, so are we gonna fill in what I'm missing, or not?"

"Welp, for starters, mage, ya marked Sugar," Serif supplied.

Her face went red, "Wait, _what?_ I did _what?"_

The brunette shifted a little, moving to put groceries away again, needing something to do with her hands, "Ah...you bit me. And marked me...magically. Serif took care of the mark, but...um..."

"The important thing to take from this is that ya act on your base instincts during heat," Comic cut in, "I had to pry you off'a her. If I hadn't gotten here when I did, it'd've gone a lot further, and I honestly...prob'ly couldn't've cut in."

The hair-dye-addict covered her eyes under her glasses, "Holy hell...fuck, Kathy, I'm sorry," she muttered, dropping her hand, her glasses falling back into place, "I should've had more self control, or...listened to G, or somethi--"

"You weren't yourself," she replied, not much more comfortable with the conversation than her friend, "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Still...is there a way we can...prevent this sort of thing in the future?" She glanced between the twins, "Heats are...a monster thing right? I know...I'm getting less and less human. So you should know some stuff about it. I mean, I don't see any monsters grabbing the closest available being that they find attractive and screwing them senseless in the middle of a snowbank, so there must be some way to tell it's coming on, or...get through it, right?"

"One of us'd have to do a proper medical examination of you, to get an exact idea of how often, an' what exactly to look for," Serif started.

"Biology ain't our department," Comic continued, "But considering the changes occurring in your soul itself...I mean, they were noticeable from the start of the week, to the end of it," a dusting of blue brushed across his cheekbones, "We'd prob'ly need to find someone from before the war, so they're familiar with mages, who has some experience in medicine, outside of just healing magic."

"And unfortunately, it'd be kinda hard for the old man to take a proper examination, so he's out," Serif finished.

Kathy finished putting the groceries away, moving to lean on the counter, "So...what if you can't find someone whose able to help her? What if she has other medical issues?" She'd been watching over her friend for long enough that her protective nature was automatic.

"If we can't find anyone...unlikely, but a possibility, then we'll just have to work with Alphys and the old man to figure out her changing magic and biology. It'll be a bit more hit and miss, but it's still better'n nothing."

"Should probably do separate examinations of my body when I'm controlling it, and when G is," Andra supplied, "I know there are some slight changes, but I don't know the full extent. I go unconscious almost immediately when he takes over, now."

Both twins looked a bit uncomfortable at that, but they didn't argue, "It's prob'ly a good idea," Comic admitted after a minute or so.

 _ **It is a fair point,**_ Gaster spoke up from within her mind,  _ **While I'm certain the body sharing isn't having any ill effects on you, it would be best to err on the side of caution.**_

She nodded, sighing, "So...do we know of any pre-war monsters, as a starting point?"

"Well, obviously Asgore. But I don't think we should be bothering the king. Healing isn't really his thing anyway," Serif began, "Then there's the guy who used to sell outta this place, Gerson. Ahh...Grillby...that weirdo in the boat...."

Andra perked up, "Riv has been here that long?"

She could feel some mild discomfort in her mind,  _ **You're calling them "Riv?"**_

"What's wrong with Riv?"

_**The nickname is a little close, considering you haven't even seen their face.** _

"What does it matter? They're nice, and they've been really helpful to me, at least before this whole heat thing hit. All while Kathy was sick, we had plenty of nice conversations."

_**While they certainly have some experience with mages, I'm not certain that they are our best option.** _

"Wait, they do? Well, it's worth asking at least, isn't it?"

"Uhhh...Sweetheart?"

"Hm?"

"Care to give us the other half of the conversation?" 

The others were staring, trying to figure out what she was talking about exactly based on the context clues.

The mage blushed, eyes wide for a moment, "Shit, sorry. Um...most of it isn't important. G did say that Riv has some experience with mages..." she could feel his discontent, _"But,"_ he calmed, "They might not be our best option."

"Eh? They do? I didn't think that weirdo had experience with anything," Serif didn't like the strange energy that came off of the Riverperson. 

"Be nice," Kathy chastised.

"So why might they not be the best option?" Comic asked.

_**While they have knowledge on mages, their medical knowledge is outdated at best. In addition...if I recall properly...we might have a bit of a history.** _

Andra relayed the message.

"So...what, it's your ex, so we can't ask them? I don't see a problem if Andra is already friends with 'em."

If he had had control of her body, Gaster would have been flushed,  _ **I did not say that we were romantically involved, I said we had a history.**_ Despite the fact that only the blunette could hear him, his voice was carefully controlled and level.

"Ahh, let them believe what they want, G," Andra comforted, snickering, "I still say that's our best bet, though. I would think...since mages sealed the barrier, some pre-war monsters might not be too happy to meet or help me. At least River is friendly."

"We've got a little time before we need to get a hold of 'em. They'll be busy today, with the market goin' on anyway."

Gaster sighed heavily in her head, attitude reminiscent of a petulant child,  _ **I suppose you have a point.**_

 "Of course I have a point," Andra replied confidently, standing and heading over to the fridge.

"Paps was expecting us for dinner," Comic reminded her.

"I know, but I'm feeling snacky. Dinner isn't for a couple hours, right?"

* * *

 

Papyrus walked through the quieter part of the Underground, enjoying the silence for a little while. With two brothers, and a full time job, he didn't get much time to himself. Not that he minded! He loved his brothers, and their new mates were charming in their own wonderful ways. He was glad to see his family happy.

It wasn't as if he didn't know what was going on. Or at least some of it. He knew that their father, whom he had trouble remembering, or even thinking about directly--he had only been a baby-bones when he disappeared--was sharing a body with Andra. He didn't have much to say to his father. At least not yet. Perhaps if he knew him better, but...it had been a long time without him. He didn't know the specifics of his disappearance, but...he seemed too busy to talk anyhow.

He liked Kathy and Andra's new place, but it's proximity to that...frankly creepy room with the flowers echoing back and forth at one another.... He was glad to put some distance between himself and it. He relaxed a little more as he walked, greeting others here and there when he saw them, though most were already at the market.

When the steamy fog between regions came into view, he prepared himself for the change in temperature. The cold didn't bother him in the slightest, but it was helpful to be ready for it. He arrived back at the house in good time, letting himself in and setting to putting the groceries away.

"Hey, Papyrus. Long time no see," the familiar voice popped up from the corner of the room. How the flower was able to burrow through the floor and into the house, without leaving any perceptible damage to the tile and carpet could only be explained by magic.

"Flowey! Hello," he smiled cheerfully, "How have you been?"

The flower made a motion which could be equated to a shrug, "Eh, not bad. I noticed you were staying in Waterfall the last week or so."

"Oh, yes," the skeleton tilted his head a little, a slight orange flush crossing his cheekbones, "Andra and Comic needed the house to themselves, so Serif and I had a sleepover with Kathy!"

Flowey scrunched up his face, "Yeah, I overheard them," he mumbled with distaste, "Came by to see if you wanted to talk, and...ugh. But don't worry about that, huh pal? We got plenty of time to talk, before the others come by, right?"

He took the change of subject happily, "Oh, certainly! I was just about to start preparing a spaghetti sauce. Would you like to help me?"

The flower offered the other a smile, "Sure thing, just uh...keep me away from the food processor, huh?"

"I haven't slipped up like that in months!" The skeleton protested indignantly.

Flowey laughed, exposing a root that had been accidentally chopped off with the other ingredients, and thrown into the processor the last time he had helped, "Yeah, I know buddy, but if it's the same to you, I think I'll hold onto your arm this time."

He seemed to consider it, before walking to the corner where the other was sitting and getting down so the flower could use his roots and a few conjured vines to crawl up his arm, "Alright. Oh! Will you stay for dinner this time?"

"Iiii....dunno if that's a good idea," he said after a few seconds, "I mean, I don't think your brothers would approve of me, after...last time." His roots tangled around Papyrus' humerus, and up, along his shoulder, holding him firmly in place.

The skeleton sighed, moving to wash the vegetables, "You know I don't remember much of that, but...you haven't hurt me since then! I say that you have proven yourself to be a valuable friend!"

His roots tightened a little, almost imperceptibly, and he looked away from the tall monster for a moment, "That's...good to hear, Papyrus. But I still don't think It's a good idea to have dinner with your brothers, and the other two. Not _yet,_ at least. I mean...you know they remember all of that timeline nonsense. They'll...remember all the times I..." He trailed off.

Papyrus fell silent as he began to chop the vegetables, thinking over what his friend was saying. When he finally spoke, his voice was uncharacteristically quiet, "What if...I tell them that I know? About the timelines, and the different outcomes we had with the last human?"

 **"Don't,"** the flower's voice distorted slightly, making the other flinch. Flowey sighed, "Look, buddy...the timeline is already unstable, what with everything going on with that mage. I don't know what you suddenly being open about this stuff would do. I don't think Smiley and Trashbag would want you to destabilise things more than they are, either. I'm having a hard enough time keeping the crazy one in line."

He frowned, "Do not call them by those names, Flowey. You know I do not appreciate it," he sighed, "But I suppose you are right. I might be of more help if they do not know that I know."

"Exactly," the flower glanced down at the ingredients, "You forgot the oregano."

"Oh!" He moved to the spice cabinet, grabbing the dried herbs and sprinkling them into the processor.

"Add a little extra garlic, too. When I was with Crazy, she added it to half her food, so I think she likes the stuff."

"Good idea, Flowey! But please do not use that nickname for Andra, either," he admonished.

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Fine. _She_ doesn't mind it, y'know."

"Then perhaps we will need to work on her self-confidence," the skeleton replied resolutely.

"Why? It isn't like she's gonna last long, anyway. I mean, really, what makes you think your dad is gonna let her keep her own body, once she fails to bring him back? Do you _know_ what happened to the last few people he signed a contract with?"

Papyrus shook his head, "I doubt he is like that, Flowey. If San--" he stopped short, almost sad for a moment, "Comic, Serif or I were in the same situation, we would give her all the time she needs to help."

The flower looked at him, "You're thinking about the other timelines too much, pal. You're gonna give yourself a skull-ache. Besides, you're probably right. I mean, you're the one with a soul. What do I know? Anyway, why don't you just focus on cooking for now, huh?"

He reached a hand up to touch one of the vines woven through his bones reassuringly, "Perhaps she can help you find a soul as well. I think she considers you a friend, too."

Flowey stared at him, waving a leaf dismissively, his stem curling over slightly with self-consciousness, "Heh. You're really something, Papyrus. Maybe you're right about that too."

He grinned, "Of course I'm right! Am I not the Great Papyrus?"

The flower laughed, "You are. I haven't forgotten," he chuckled.

"And perhaps you will soon be as great as me!"

"Hehehe...I uh...I can only hope, buddy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ya'll don't mind the dialogue heavy chapter. So glad to have gotten some Paps/Flowey conversation in there! Expect River to show up soon! And yes, Papyrus did almost say "Sans" instead of the twins' names. See ya next time!  
> ~xXx~ The Lemon Queen


	27. Civility and Static

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: My Riverperson uses Xe/Xir pronouns for xirself. However, in chapters where the primary focus is on another character, they/them may be used, until that character knows, and is used to the proper pronouns. Riv is pretty cool about people getting it wrong, though, and doesn't particularly care.

"No, no--just leave the Parmesan cheese on the side," a familiar voice told Papyrus firmly.

"Yes, yes! Of course."

Andra stood just inside the door, frowning lightly, "Flowey?" She muttered. Music was playing, and the door was open behind her, the other three trudging through the snow up to the door behind her. She left it ajar for them, walking farther into the house, "Wait...you guys know each-other?"

"Crazy! Wh-what're you doing back here so early?!" The flower demanded, beginning to detangle himself from the skeleton's bones.

"Didn't see any reason to take too long to get back," she shrugged, "What are you doing?"

Footsteps trailed into the house, and Comic was in the doorway of the kitchen before Flowey could get down.

Both froze.

Comic tensed, "What the hell're you doing here, plant?" He demanded.

"None of your business, Smiley," he snapped.

"Flowey, what did I tell you about those rude nicknames?" Papyrus frowned.

Comic tensed, Serif close behind, "Paps, why're you hanging out with that weed?"

"He happens to be a friend of mine. I know that you don't get along with him after...ah..." He paused, "Well, after what he told me, but I think you should give him a chance!"

 "What the fuck?" Serif levelled a glare at the soulless monster.

"You don't understand Paps, that thing is da--"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm **dangerous,** " Flowey rolled his eyes. He _really_ hadn't wanted to get caught here, "I'm not gonna hurt your brother. He's more entertaining alive and whole."

The taller skeleton look mildly uncomfortable, "Flowey, I am aware of your nature, but at least try not to imply that you would actually do such a thing, to my brothers..."

The flower almost pouted, "Hmm. Fine. Can you set me down, **please** , Papyrus?"

"I suppose, but...seeing as you have been found out, would you be willing to stay for dinner now?"

"Don't invite it to dinner!" Serif protested.

"Well...from what I overheard, I think he actually helped cook it," Andra perked up.

Kathy stood just outside the kitchen, staring openly, "So...the tsundere flower made us food?" She asked, "Why do I have a feeling it's poisoned?"

"Oh, puh-lease. I wouldn't sink that low," he growled, "It's obvious I'm not welcome. It's been real, Paps." He began to climb down the skeleton's arm, the motion a little awkward using vines and roots.

"No, I think you should stay, weed," Andra said, crossing her arms and almost grinning, "Looks like there's plenty of food. Anyway, if you are friends with Papyrus, and you kept me from throwing myself in a pit of lava, you can't be all bad."

"Crazy, I don't need your help," he replied through clenched teeth.

Comic shot her a look, frowning before looking at the flower again, "Let him stay," he said, "But if he fucks up, I don't want to hear about him talking to you again."

Flowey sighed, "Fine, I'll stay. But this isn't gonna work out."

Papyrus narrowed his eye-sockets, "I am not a baby-bones, Com. I can make my _own_ decisions on friends."

The twins both flinched, exchanging a look, before delivering near identical warning glares at the flower.

"Okay, well, now that's settled, why don't we sit down and eat? It smells fantastic," Kathy perked up, doing her best to diffuse the situation.

"Excellent idea!" Papyrus agreed, "All of you sit down! I will serve you."

The meal went by in a tone of forced civility, though at a few points, the tension was occasionally broken when Andra laughed at something either Comic or Flowey said, earning a few odd looks, and opening the door for a few other almost good-natured jokes here and there.

By the time they finished the meal--Flowey only ate a single large meatball, and a few noodles--the twins were more than ready to bid him adieu.

* * *

River settled into xir boat, lying back in the bottom, one bare foot dangling in the water as the vessel bobbed up and down where it was tied off.

The busy day had come to a close, and xe had a small bag of gold to show for tips, though xe generally didn't charge for xir services. A few monsters insisted on tipping, though, and it was nice to have the funds in an emergency.

Xir hood had fallen back as xe stared up at the gem-encrusted cave ceiling, revealing features xe hadn't dared to show in the presence of those xe had lived among since the barrier went up. It was understandable. Looking human was one thing, but not being entirely so was another. Xir original persona was largely forgotten. Most of those xe knew had been lost to time, or avoided xir.

Xe had been against the barrier. A lot of mages had been. But none of the others had been unfortunate enough to be sent to the Underground with the monsters. Or to be practically inside of the barrier when it went up. Xe didn't know what would happen if it came down, not that it seemed likely anymore, but considering xe hadn't aged a day since it was erected, it stood to reason that xir life was, in some way, tied to the barrier. There weren't any previous reports that xe knew of, of mages living this long.

Not that science was a strong suit of xirs. Xe did, however, have a strong interest in history, frequently pinching whatever human history books xe could when they fell down. Sometimes the two fields overlapped, though.

Over the years in the Underground, xe had learned a fair deal about xir own magic. It had never been this strong among humans and other mages. Xe had learned from fallen children that mages were more or less no more, on the surface. It was very curious. Xe hadn't been expecting to meet another mage ever again. The mohawked one had surprised xir. Xe had to wonder if she had noticed the magic coming off of xir, or if xe was just sensitive to that sort of thing.

Riv closed xir eyes, feeling the energy coming off of the cool water. Hm...what was that echoing in the ripples? Was that so? Well, that was certainly interesting. Xe looked forward to a visit from the skeletons, the human, and the other mage. Perhaps xe would leave it to them to find their own way home tonight. To give xirself more time to prepare for the coming conversation. Xe had a feeling it would be...well, intense was probably not the correct word, but it would do.

Yes, tomorrow would be quite the right time for this talk. For now, rest. Xe certainly would need it.

* * *

"It wasn't that bad," Andra insisted, holding Kathy steady after teleporting them both back to the house.

"Not that bad? It felt like being a suddenly flattened then inflated tube of toothpaste. Do I smell like mint to you?"

"Yes, but that's because you ate two bowls of mint and chip ice-cream before we left," she told her.

"There is no way your nose is that sensitive," the brunette protested.

The mage chuckled, "Okay, maybe not, but it's still not that bad. You good to stand on your own?"

She returned the chuckle with a smile, "Yeah, I think I'm fine. At least you didn't leave half of me in between here and there like one of those teleporters in sci-fi shows do sometimes."

The blunette wrinkled her nose, "Are you trying to turn me off of taking shortcuts?"

Kathy gave her a mock-serious look, "Maybe," she replied flatly, before a smile broke across her features, "Not that you wouldn't look cool with only one arm, but you could lose your head or something, and that would just be a travesty."

She grinned, "Don't worry, I'll be careful," she waved a hand dismissively, stepping away from her friend and letting her stand on her own. She looked around the living room for a moment, "So did you want to plan out some decor for this place? And see if we can get our hands on a videogame system? I swear, if I don't get to play once in awhile, I'm gonna go crazier."

The shorter woman rolled her eyes, "You're not crazy. And if we're going anywhere else tonight, we're walking. No more teleporting."

The hair-dye addict suppressed a small giggle, "Alright, alright, fine. You know the area better than I do now, I'm sure. Why don't you show me around? Have you been to the Tem village yet?"

"The...what?"

A wicked grin spread across her face. Kathy would love those things. Hell, she might even try to adopt one...hopefully not offending them in the process, but the Temmies seemed pretty chill, "I'll take that as a no. Come on," she grabbed her arm again, leading her in the appropriate direction.

"What's the temp village?" She asked, allowing her friend to half-drag her back outside the apartment.

"Tem. Short for Temmie. You'll see," she replied, "I think you're gonna love it."

Her friend's enthusiasm was contagious, "Alright, lead the way. Let's see it," she laughed.

The first half of the walk went quickly. Andra wove through the path, leading the way. They weren't expecting it when Kathy felt the familiar tug at her soul that signified someone pulling her into a fight.

The creature who had appeared was sick and grey looking. They had no colour whatsoever, and the room suddenly felt eerily quiet. The attack shouldn't have surprised them so badly. The human had been in the presence of monsters when exploring, before. Now she was only near someone that wasn't monster or human, and neither was well known in the area yet. .

Andra tensed, seeing her friend's soul, reaching out to take a hold of it herself, almost on instinct, pushing it back into Kathy's body with her magic. She didn't understand how she was doing it, but she didn't want to see the other female get hurt. She moved in front of her, putting herself in the way of the strange monster, "Who are you?" She demanded.

The human woman stumbled back a little, clutching her chest and staring at her friend, wide-eyed in surprise, "A-Andra, wait! You shouldn't be fighting, you can't reset!"

 

The voice that replied was staticky, _**"̝̙̳Y͈͍̏͌̑̚͜ó̜̬͎̼̪͕̉̄͌̕ǔ͍̜̼̣ͩ̌.̠̲̙̀.̨̬̗͈̰̺̙ͭ.̩͋͑̂͋͜a̡͕͚̺̳̺͇rͥ͐͐ͯę̙̄ͨͪ ̨̦̰̩ͩͯ̾f̶̘͐ͫ̍ͮa̯̝̩͗̀͌͐͝m͔̣̤̤̞̺͉̀͑ͩ́i͍̼̯͍̿̓̿̋ͯ͑͛l̊͆í̼ͯ̇͘ȃ͌̌̎҉͕̞̩̤r̸̈ͩ͐̐.̿͝"͊͟**_ The grey figure moved closer.

 

The blunette narrowed her eyes, "What? I don't know how I'm familiar to you. I don't even know who the hell you are."

 

_**"̜̩̬̣ͩ͋ͅT͑ͫ͋h̺̖̗̽ͪ̌̚ͅe̮̼̭̙͊̋ͧ̆͑͆̓ ̙̣̺̟̥͉̯͗̊̈́̃ͫ̓d̸̩̝̞̫͇̘ô͖ͮͮ͘c̡̮̘̰̜͈̘̫̈́ͣ͗t̤̙ͭ̆͠o̢̖͓͕̝̟̅r̖̪͇̩̩̖͒ͭ͑̑͋ ̛̲̘̑̄̋̏̎ͮ̇ķ̬̹̪̤̹̤̘̔ͭň̢͓̔ͮo͇̼̲̹̬͚̫̒ͦw̲̜̱̭̝͎̽̅͒ͧs͇̳̠͓̫̖̞̏̉͂ͪ͘ ̗̳͒̈͊̎̒͌͟m̔ͤe̮͊̋ͧ̆͑͆̓."** _

 

She frowned, "Um...G?"

 

 _ **"̗͎̠̗̬̽̋ͣ̽D͔ͮͪͯ͡o̴̪̼͛̓̍̊̃̚ ̈́̿̚n͙͎͇̥̺̖̿̃ò̗ͭͤͩͤt̯̦̭͉̳ ̢͇͇̝̳̘͍͎̏̑͂̊̓̒ͦl̲̱̙̤͎͊ͩ̅̿e̩̮ͯ̉͊̂̃ͅt̐͏ ̻ȟ͓̲͉̱̫͙̼̘̼ͨ̊̈̂ͩ͊i̴̴̬̟ͤ͊̎͊͛ͮ͗͝m̼̜͔̝̱̦̰̾̊ͧ͋̒̑͋͂ ̷͈͍̳͉̣̬͓̱̙̀ͪ̌̿̎͗͝d̰̰̰̜̱͆ͨ̑ơ̥̟̟̓̐̓̋͛̽͜͞ͅ ̡͓̬͓̮͊́ͭ̊ͮͧ͢ṱ̶͇͕͈̤̪̃̿ͣͯͭ̄͜͝ó̵̷͍̼̱̹̥̜̯̒̑ yͨ̅ͫ͐ͦͩ̂̃͒ͧ̑͒̕͏̶̨͓͚̳͔̻͎̳̹oͭ̉ͮ̑͒̅̋̃u͒ͫ͋̇̓ͮ͋ͮ̾͒͐̓͌̈ͥ̎̈̆͘͏̸̨̝̝̣̹͇͓̝̻̠̱̪͚̖͔̞͓̀ wͫ̓ͪh̢̛̦̪̱̰̠̱̱̘̜̬̪̖̳̽ͮͩ̇ͩͪͣ̀ͦ̍ͨ̎͑ͣą̸̭̘͕̲̬̯̺͍̥̳͒̅̐̊ͣ͐̄͌̒͘t̠͔̫͓̯̞̦̦̯͚̩̤̘̪̟͔̏͊ͧͭ̐́͘͞͞ͅͅͅ ̨̢̧͇̠͎̹̦̏ͧ̐ͧͮ̑̒̀͝ḩ̷͛͒̒̊ͨ̏̓͡҉̬̩̤͙̹̮̤͙͇̻̖̣̻̖͕̲̪eͭ͗̅̐̉͛̌ͦ̒͏̺͎̟̠͉͎̭̯̯͙̙͜ ̸̷̢̫̫̻̥̺͔̫̩̙͙̟̣̖̗ͦ̎͗ͧͫ̈́͂̎̅̀̀d̵̛͍̲̻̣͍̬͇̲̻̰̥̩͙͎̉̊ͬ̍iͪͫ̈́̈dͬͦͪͨ̈̽ͬ̅ t͍̰̗ͯ͐ͭ̆̓ȍ͐̚͏̰̖̬̼̣̯͚̞͕͜ ̺͓̗͙̭̬͙͇̃ͧ̄͐͋̑ͤ́̀̚m̨̻̰͓̜̹͍̫͔̊̉ͪ̋̋ͨ͊̕ͅe̱̣̮͕̺̱͉̊ͩ̓̔ͤ̉̇͛.̗̲̥̬̤̫͙̍̈̍̑̚͟͜͢"̨̹̘̪̻͈̼̺͗͐̒͘**_ The air felt heavy.

 

Andra looked around, assessing the area. Where...where had Kathy gone? "What? What are you talking about? What did you just do? What did _he_ do?"

 

 _ **"̶̷̧̧̝̱̮͈̘͚̦̥̹̹̝̜͔ͧ̊ͥ͌̋ͨ̓̆ͩͨ̆̑͂͛́ͥ̒̚E̷͙̺͇͈ͣͧͤ̇͑̄̑̉͜ ̖̳͖̥̲͚̰̝͊̐ͫ̅̑̇̕͘͡r̸̛̛͓̙͓̬̲͎͚͕̔ͫͣͭ̊̾ͤͫ̌̀ ̵̓̐ͪ͒̋͑͏͏̵̧̘͕̱̼á̌͑ͦ̀̈́͒̓̇͛ͬͯ̉҉̴͇̹̻̳s ̷̨̧̰̣̬̝͙̠̗̯̤̝̫͖͉̜̤ͪ̒̽̈́ͧ̌ͭ͑̅̓̀ͥ̚͡ͅͅe̴͓͖̣̹ͣ̿͗̓̽̀ ̶̧̠̲̳̗̩̞͍̥̝͎̖̲̬̻̗͛ͨ̊̐̕͡d̿͛̂ͭͬͧ̅͑̅ͧ̏̏̎͛҉̶͈̬̲͖̙̥͓̤͉̦͎͈̪̞̘̲̗ ̬̰̳̭̠́͌̎͊ͬ̒̈̐͡͡ͅ ̴̷͓̪̣̳̪̘̼̟͙͓̪͔̦̖̭̬̼͓ͭ͂ͩ̾͆̂ͩ̈̃ͭͭ̈́ͣͬ̅͑́̊̋͘̕͟m̵̶͍̮̫̺̰ͩ̓͆̽̇͠͝ e̔ͬͣ̌ͦ̏̒̋͌́ͯͦ͋͑ͭ̔̇ͯͥ҉̼̺̠̫̖̺̞͚̙͘ ̹͇̪͇̭̺̯̩̀͂ͨ̏͊̌ͨ̀̊̇̆͛̑̀͡ ̸̶̸͈̠͖̰͋̈̂̄͌͊̎̿̉̃͢͡w̶͈̫͙̟͎̳̜̖̙̩͎͔͓̙͙̖̲͇̹͋͗ͩ̂̈́́̇ͯ͢͜͠ h̶̡̧̟͍͖͈̥̝̤̠͇̰̦͖͙̙͐̉ͥ̍͐͋̈͋̋͑̌ͯ͒͝͠ͅͅ ̹̳͖̝͉̻̼̰͓̘̬̼ͨͨ̈́͒̊͆ͧ̒͌͆͠͝͝e̿ͤ̄̐̄̐ͫ̎̄̀ͦ̉̂̚̚͏͏̵͔͕͖̦͔̝͇͓̟̩̙̮̕ͅ ̶̵̘͖̦̻̹̱͉̣͙͎̬͕ͧ́̀̍n̛ͮ̽͊ͩͪ̏͆ͧ̎͏͈̘̥̯̮͍͖̮̲̘ ̶̴̨̰̼͍̤͔̳̙̬̺̣͕̊͒ͦ͑ͤ̓͜ ̡̊̈̉͑͟͠͏͙͚̦̯̦̘̖I̿ͯ̐ͥͤ̽͂ͪ̓͗̉͒ͧ̃͆͊͌ͤ҉̛̙͖̪̗̘̝̹̻͈̥̳̩͔͍̻̬͝ ̴̛̭͍͔̳͈̺̳̠̱̍͑ͤ̒ͬͦͥ̈́ͪͮ̎̄̌ͨ̔̀͘͟ ̿̔̈ͧf̢̛͍̟̜̱̼̖̬͔͈͈̓̍̿̀͑̍ͧ̒͋͆̽̓́ ̢̠̥͚̹̲̊̊̈́͝ą̵̴̮͈̪̰̭̗̣̹̝͔̱͈̜̪ͣͪ͐̄̉ͪ͌͢ ̲̤̯̗̮̙̖̣͔̘̤̼ͨ̐̓ͬ̀̀̚͡͞i̢͕̩̩̼̟̞̝͙̱͓̗̯̭̤̣̦͕̇ͨ͆̓ͦ̐̊̏͗͝ l̸̢̺̪͕͚͔̗̤̮̰̼͎̞ͥͦͩ̽͊̆̑ͬ̊̀ ̶̡͔͓̟͖̯̲͇̫͈̦͚̄̆̒ͪ̾͒̂ͣ̔ͥ̿̉͑ę̳̖̝̝̮̫̰̣͚̤̳͉̮̳̋͂̒͛̚̕͝ ̧͙̲͖͍͙͔͚̠̅͑ͮ͒͛ͧ̀̍͂̈̓̃̌̀̀́̀ḑ̺̗͇̟̲͈͓͓̪ͭ͒ͪ͂ͨ̈̃ͥ̐̎̕͡.̷̢̧̭͙̗̰̄́ͯ̓̇ͮ̾͂͌̀̀ͥ̈́̚͝"̐͊̇̾̆̏͏͏҉̪̘͖͖̠̻̫̙͕͞**_ The static was so bad that she could hardly understand the creature.

 

"He...what? Erased you? How? How did you fail? What are you talking about?"

 

 _ **"̵̺͙̭̐͂̿ͧ͢D͙̠̗̲͚̲ͣ̈̃͝ͅͅ ̲͎͉̘̻̠̻͌ͭͧͥ̏͗̚̕͝ǫ͉̥̮͖͕̆ͤͩͫ̿͝ ̓͂̿͐̉̑ ņ̩ ̯͍ͯ̆̅ͤ͂͊ỏ̲̟̥̮͝ ̍̽͐̍̑ͯ̅t͉̭̞̥̠̜̕ ̲̮̫̞̬̳̜ͯ͐ͯ ̇̊ͥͫ͂ͦ̆͏̥ f̢̢̨͏͏̮̹̝̹̜͖̺͚̜̹̹̼̖̮̹ͅ a̴̡҉͇̙̜̣ i̞͖͈̙͖͝ ĺ̸͚̬̹̺̥̜̝̭̭͕̝̜͕̟̰͠͝.̷͘͜͡͏̥͈̖͇̲̹̙̪̰̤ͅ"̸̧̡̧̣̩͇͢**_ The static began to fade.

 

"Wait, get back here!" The figure was disappearing, "What do you know about my contract?"

 

 _ **"̷͞D́͜͟͝͡ ҉̢͜Ơ҉ ̸̶͜ ̛N̴̢̧̯̮̤̳͓͎͕̠̯͇̭̫͋̌̍͊͗̆ͣ̑̂ͪͤ̑ͥ̀̄̍ͫ͞ ̷̧̛̝̞͔͎̼͈̤̙͔͙̯̺̣̝͚͖̰͖̉͒̿͑ͧ̇ͧ́͆̅̍̐͑͂ͫ̄̚͟͝O̝͕̙̱̖͙̠̰̹̜̗̰̖̘̖͛ͭͬ͛̕͞͞ͅ ̣̩̠̼̤̜̤̿̒̓̄̈́̇͋̓͆͡͠T̸̸͚͔̪͕̘͉̗̗̹̗̼̹̹̼̟͙͖̪̂̃͒̎̿ͮͩ̏̋̑̌ͣ̎̍̀͢ F̶͠ ͞͠҉̀͜A̢̧͏͠͝ ̸̛́͝Í͠ ̀͏L̵̷̶̛͟.̨͞"̶҉**_ And...they were gone.

 

"Andra! Snap out of it! What's going on with you?" Kathy's voice slammed her back to reality.

She shook her head, "I...what...wait, what did you just see happen?"

"Someone attacked, but you got in front of me, and then just...started mumbling to yourself," she frowned, "It was really weird. Are you sure you're alright to keep going? Or maybe we should head back and do this another time? Where did they even go?"

The mage shook her head, "I uh...I don't know. Fuck," she rubbed her arms, "I um...I don't think they'll be back."  _Gaster, did you catch any of that?_

The presence in her mind stirred,  _ **I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. I was aware that there was an encounter with someone, but I could not get a read on them for some reason.**_ She could feel him growing stern,  _ **But from what I am sensing from you, I seem to be missing some information. What happened?**_

 _Nothing. It was...I don't know. Don't worry about it._ Erased. Would she be erased if she failed to help him?

_**You are blocking me from your thoughts. What. Happened?** _

"I don't know!" She said it out loud, startling Kathy before she realised that she was talking to G, "K-Kathy, come on. Let's go to the Tem village now. I...I need a distraction, about now. My nerves are shot after that. I'll...explain what happened...to both of you...later."

"If you're sure..."

"Yes, I'm sure. Please, just...gimme a few, alright?" Her head hurt after all the static in the grey monster's voice.

Kathy slowly nodded, putting a reassuring hand on her friend's arm, "Okay," she said quietly.

 _ **Very well,**_ Gaster sighed in her mind,  _ **Do not strain yourself, for now. But I expect to know what you saw in full detail, later.**_

She nodded silently, moving to lead the way down the path again, blue gem-like cobblestones marking the way as they walked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, a lot happened in this chapter, without much progress at all. I meant for this to be a breather chapter, and you see how well that worked out. Either way, hope you enjoyed it. The next few should be a little more coherent, but I promise, all the information presented here applies to the plot in some way.  
> Please don't forget to leave a comment! Your feedback is important! Don't forget, you can also ask any of the characters who have appeared in the chapter questions in the comment section.


	28. Dreams and Memes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Long time no see. Sorry for the wait. I've got no new excuses, so just recycle an old one, yeah?

Serif frowned at the readings, head propped in his hand, Alphys shuffling over to him with a cup of coffee.

"You um...l-look...worried," the reptilian monster commented, peeking over his shoulder at the readings, adjusting her glasses to see what the skeleton was looking at. Her eyes widened a little, "B-but that can't be right. She w-wasn't reading as th-the anomaly outside of s-saves b-b-before."

He shook his head, "I dunno what this's about," he replied, fingers curling into his eyesocket a little in his irritation, before he dropped his hand, "Readings only seem to be this way at certain moments. It could be a bug in the equipment."

The shorter of the two drummed her fingers nervously on the sides of her coffee mug, rocking on her feet a little, "Might be. I'll um...k-keep an e-eye on it, and let you kn-know if I see anything."

"Thanks, Alphys."

* * *

 "I don't want to go to sleep yet," Andra murmured, arms crossed on her pillow, staring hard at the stone wall behind the bed.

"Sweetheart, we gotta a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Comic told her, suppressing a wide-mouthed yawn. His head was propped on one hand, the distal phalanges of the other trailing up and down her back, trying to lull the mage to sleep, "I'll be right there in your dreams. Ya don't have to worry, alright?"

She half hid her face in the pillow, tracing the patterns on the case with one fingertip, "I'm not worried. I'm just not tired." It might have been a little bit of a lie, but she was certain that she could go the night without sleep. She wasn't overly eager to have the conversation she knew was coming, especially when she had neglected to tell Comic of her little encounter with the grey monster.

He rubbed her back with a little more pressure, shifting to pull her against him, "Andra...sweetheart, whatever's botherin' ya...you can talk to me, y'know?"

"I'm...afraid of being erased," she said after a few moments of silence, not sure if he heard her.

"Erased?" Clear confusion crossed his skeletal features. His eyelights flickered.

She could feel an equally startled feeling cross her mind from Gaster, though the older monster made no comment.

"Something...earlier. They felt familiar. Like the Void..." She was getting a slight headache, "I don't know...I guess only G can explain, but...I really don't wanna talk about it. I'm scared shitless as it is."

Concern replaced the confusion, and he laced one hand in her hair, the other arm tightening around her waist, "It's alright. You're not gonna be erased. You're alright, Sweetheart," he pressed his teeth against her forehead, "I dunno what this guy, or whatever they were, said to ya, but don't let it get to you. None of us'll let anything happen to ya."

She didn't argue, but that didn't stop the uncertainty and worry crawling around under her skin, the feeling of the former royal scientist in her head enough to let her know that this wasn't a conversation she could avoid. Heh. A _void._ That pun was terrible.

The mage almost didn't notice when she fe _ll asleep._

_Reality merged almost seamlessly with dream, and she found herself, again, in the Void with Gaster. She didn't see Comic anywhere, and could only assume that he had yet to fall asleep, in his effort to comfort her._

_**"Andra,"** Gaster's voice seemed to echo in the nothing, bouncing around between the neurons in her head,  **"We haven't long to talk before Comic arrives. What can you tell me of your earlier encounter?"** Why in the Void did he sound so serious?_

_"Er...well, I didn't get the best look at them. They were grey, and their voice was kinda fucked. They said that...they were erased when they failed. And that you knew them."_

_A flinch. Or something similar. While the older monster was slowly becoming more expressive, she didn't think others would be able to read his expressions so easily, **"One of my followers, then,"** he sighed._

_"Your followers? I don't get it. I thought you were struggling to exist in this world at all."_

_Time stretched thin. They would have a little longer to speak, **"You cannot be naive enough to assume that you were the first to sign a contract with me? Of course, you're the first mage. My followers are...were monsters. Unfortunately, due to their lack of durability, and numerous resets...they, too were lost to the Void. I did not think that they would, or could contact you, or I might have warned you of such a possibility."**_

_She stared for a few moments, thinking back to it, "So...what did they mean by 'do not fail?'"_

**_"In previous attempts to revive me, they offered their own lives, for the greater good of monsterkind, that I might regain my true form. The energy did allow me to help this timeline along, and regain some of my missing shards of self, but the sacrifice could be deemed a failure, if viewed from their narrow perspective."_ **

_She felt a little sick, "So...more than one of your followers has outright killed themselves for you, and all you can do is insult them for being narrowminded, because they tried to warn me?"  
_

_An exasperated sigh, **"Their sacrifices allowed me to find a suitable host on the surface--you--and in one instance, gave me the power to progress the timeline in spite of the anomaly who kept repeating it. You are not in danger of erasure, so long as you are not reckless with your power. You are the key to allowing this world to move on as intended, so long as you follow my instructions."**_

_The mage was silent for what felt like a long time. When she spoke, she sounded...uncertain, "Your followers didn't know they were going to end up in the Void when they died, did they?"_

**_"I doubt they would have been so cooperative had they known the fate that awaited them,"_ ** _he conceded._

_"So why...how am I any different? Whether I succeed or fail, am I just going to end up here regardless?"_

**_"This place...lives outside of time. In a manner of speaking, yes, you will end up here. But not in the way you might imagine. I can assure you, there is nothing you need to fear."_ ** _The words were...oddly reassuring, despite the confusion that came with them._

_Time was expanding again. It seemed their private conversation was about to be over, and she still had more questions than answers._

_"What'd I miss?" Comic was there, by her side, as if he had always been, feeling the heavy air between the two as he looked from one to the other._

_"Just going over the finer details of my contract. Nothing too important," Andra replied, hating the fact that she felt as if she had to tell the half truth._

_One risen brow bone, but otherwise, no reaction, outside of a small, "Hm."_

_"Hey, Com...I need to stop thinking for a bit. Would it be weird to just...dream about cuddling?" She had shifted to hug herself._

_He grinned, "Nah, not at all, Sweetheart. C'mere," he held out an arm for her to duck underneath._

_Gaster didn't seem entirely comfortable with it, but he couldn't say he didn't understand._

_The setting changed gradually, nothingness falling away, giving way to a coast, trees hugging close to the edge of the sand, clear water turning foggy as the waves churned and crashed on the shore. This was the sort of place she loved, and she was relieved to finally see something other than darkness in her dreams._

_The older scientist was slightly startled, but he began to relax as he seemed to register what was going on._

_Andra's attention was captured by the matching looks of fascination both of the skeleton monsters seemed to give their dreamed surroundings. She could feel her soul fluttering slightly, as she found herself aching to reach out to them both, somehow, "It's uh...not a real place, but...I used to see it in my head sometimes," she gestured around vaguely._

_"Beautiful," Comic was no longer looking out at the ocean._

_She blushed, narrowing her eyes a little, "You know the rules," she replied, "And so do I."  
_

_A sudden smirk, "A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of," he was singing, "You wouldn't get this from any other guy. I just gotta tell you how I'm feeling, gotta make you understand--"_

_"Don't you dare."_

_"Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna turn around, and desert you~!"_

_"Comic Sans Aster, you stop that right now. Did you seriously just Rick-roll me? How do you even know that song?"  
_

_He was chuckling now, unable to continue singing, "Old...hehe...cassette tape I found. What'd you call it, sweetheart? Rick-rolling?"_

_"Do not lie to me. You definitely know what that is."_

_He was still laughing his tailbone off, "Maybe in another timeline," an audible wink, "Sad thing about memes, is that barely anyone gets 'em in the Underground."_

_"I'm gonna_ get _you,"  she threatened, though her tone wasn't without its share of playfulness._

_He waggled his brow bones, "I look forward to it."_

_She snickered, "Shut up, you fucking meme."_


	29. Muddled Mornings and Rambling Rivers

The morning came too quickly.

Kathy gave a low groan, opening her eyes, and staring at the empty spot next to her. She had grown used to Serif staying the night, and it was strange to wake up without him by her side. She wondered if he had stayed the night at his home. After all, with everything going on with Papyrus and the tsundere flower, she couldn't blame him for wanting to keep the taller skeleton safe. Yeah, Flowey had been civil enough during their meal the night before, considering his acerbic personality, but there was still the concern that he might take advantage of Papyrus' ability to trust...almost too easily.

Not that she didn't want to give the flower a chance. After all, even though he had attempted to kill her when they first fell, he had still been there for Andra during her...break. And some part of her...trusted him, to a point, even if she couldn't begin to understand it.

She shook the train of thought from her mind, sitting up after a few minutes of staring at the ceiling. Some days, getting out of bed was harder than it had to be. The room was as dark as it had been when she'd gone to sleep, and her sense of time would have been shot, if they hadn't purchased a found digital clock from the Temmies the night before.

Her clothes were neatly folded on a couple of shelves in the closet. They hadn't been able to find much to purchase for humans, but an elderly monster who did some tailoring had agreed to work with them, when they were at the open market, for a price. And in the meantime, Kathy was on the more petite side, so she could fit into some of the kids clothes that seemed to have found themselves collected by the Tem.

It was quick work to get dressed in something semi-presentable, at least from what she had available, and get her hair brushed out and pulled back. 

She made her way out of her room, into the kitchen, and started on coffee for Andra, and breakfast for herself and the two sleeping in the room. The kitchen was actually pretty roomy. Something she might not have minded having on the surface, though such a thing would be expensive there. She was a little surprised, considering the limited space to house the monsters of the Underground, but she suspected that she hadn't even begun to see the true scope of the place. After all, she'd briefly glimpsed the ruined city they had once occupied. Infused with magic, or no, this cave system was impressive. Hell, it had _weather._

Stirring began from the direction of the bedrooms, and Kathy suspected one or both of the others had decided it was worth getting up. She briefly considered checking in on them, but thought better of it. Honestly, she was still a little on edge after the heat thing, and certainly wasn't going to go out of her way to go somewhere she couldn't get out of, at least not yet. Not that she didn't trust her friend, or Comic to stop that from happening, but...it was gonna take a _little_ time to get it out of her head.

Her phone chiming caught her attention, and she glanced down to check the message.

* * *

 The water was calm today. That was good luck. Xe wondered if the conversation would go well, then. Not that River knew _exactly_ what was coming, but xe knew enough, thanks to xir magic. It wasn't a common ability to read omens with such accuracy, among either the monsters, or xir own kind.

Hmm...perhaps it was time to let the boat drift to Waterfall, now. Xe knew the mage would be looking for xir soon. She would want some answers. Answers xe certainly had, though...whether or not she would be able to accept them? Xe just couldn't know. As if on command, the rope loosened from where it had been tied off, allowing the boat to drift, caught up by the current of the subterranean river. How convenient.

* * *

 Andra had her face planted nearly in the pillow, turned only enough to allow her to breath a little. She didn't want to wake up. In fact, she actively fought it, all too happy to stay in the dream with Comic for a little while longer. The way he reacted to the small glimpses of the surface that she could give him with a thought...she could study that awe for a millennia, and never get tired of seeing it, let alone helping to cause it.

But they had things to do today, didn't they?

After all, she couldn't simply let her powers run away, unmonitored. And if Riv knew and wasn't offended by mages, then they were an ideal person to ask first.

She dragged herself out of her half sleeping state, turning onto her side and watching the skeleton beside her.

Who would ever have thought that she would be regularly sharing a bed with a skeleton? Not that she hadn't always been a little weird with her preferences, but...ask her a few years ago if she thought she could find a lack of flesh, fat and muscle attractive, and she would have thought she was being accused of necrophilia, and taken offence, most likely. But he was alive. She knew that. And as much as she wanted to say his appearance didn't matter, it was a lie. She found him absolutely charming. The most intimidating thing about him was the amount of power he was hiding, but even that had become something she was growing accustomed to.

She ran her hand over his gently rising and falling ribs, wrinkling his shirt a little more, "Hey. Com," she gave him a gentle tap with her fingertip, "We gotta get up, lazybones." Her face pressed into his neck, and she planted a soft kiss on his cervical vertebrae.

"Mmm...later..." he mumbled, shifting to pull her against him with still-surprising strength, in spite of the associated light-weight of the average skeleton.

A small smile crossed her lips, "Heh...as much as I'd love to stay in bed with you all day, don't you think we got quite enough of that?"

His grin widened a little, but his eye sockets remained closed, "Never," teeth parted slightly as he nibbled her shoulder lightly.

"Comic..." she reprimanded gently, "We can cuddle later, but I have to go take care of some stuff today."

He opened one, his grinning going playful, "You sure cuddling is all we'll be doing later?"

She snorted, turning her face into the pillow to suppress a laugh, "I've been an awful influence on you, you know that? You're absolutely insatiable."

He chuckled, "Only when I got you around, Sweetheart," he replied, propping his head up on one arm, "You gonna need me for your meeting with River?"

The blunette blinked deliberately, "Why? Did you have plans?"

His expression shifted to more neutral one, "Eh. Just work," he said, "Been skipping out a little much, lately. All fine and good for the 'dog stand, but Serif can only cover for me so much, on the other jobs."

She sighed, "Yeah, I guess I have been a little selfish with your time. Sorry about that," she replied, "I should be fine talking to River on my own. I mean, I think Kathy wanted to go, too. But it'd probably be better if I went alone."

He rose a browbone, "You sure? Remember, you can't reset..."

His concern just couldn't be more simultaneously flattering and annoying, "I doubt anything is gonna happen that will require a reset."

"Mm...if you're sure," he finally replied, glancing at the time on his phone. Yeah. It was probably a good time to get up. Damn.

The consensus was reached wordlessly, and they both went about getting dressed, the skeleton simply pulling on what he'd been wearing the night before, rather than dirtying something new.

When they came out of the room, breakfast had already been cooked, and the coffee was sitting, already made the way Andra liked it, on the fold-out card table that served as a dining area.

"Morning! I heard you guys moving around, so I got the food started," Kathy set a plate of eggs, bacon, and toaster waffles down on the table for each of them.

The mage let through an easy smile, "Thanks Kath. I don't know what I'd do without you."

The more petite woman grinned, "I dunno. Something tells me things would get pretty boring for both of us, if we weren't together so much," she had been eating her own food in the kitchen while cooking the rest, leaving her plate already empty as Comic and Andra began to eat.

They exchanged pleasant conversation as they ate their food, and it wasn't long before Comic left, his own food half untouched, with the excuse that he was running late for work.

Once they were alone, the human practically bounced on the balls of her feet, "Oh! Andra! Alphys texted me about a possible job opportunity this morning. I was wondering if you maybe wanted to swing by her lab after we talk to River?"

The younger woman tilted her head, taking a sip of almost-cold coffee, "Hm? What sort of job?"

"Something to do with um...well, she said he was a celebrity. He's looking for a personal assistant or something, and I figure I can probably handle that. I mean, how bad could it be? And it'd give me a chance to see more of the Underground. Plus, Alphys said she could put in a recommendation for me. If we can get there today, I'm already lined up for an interview."

"What? That's awesome! I mean...maybe you should go ahead and talk to Alphys right away, then? I can handle Riv."

"Hm? I'm not gonna make you have that conversation alone."

A soft sigh passed her lips, "It's not big deal. I'm sure they've been waiting for this conversation. I mean, everyone else in this place can tell I'm not all human, just checking my stats, or whatever. I'm sure they could too."

She shifted a little, "Well...if you're sure. Meet me there after, though."

"Alright, alright. I guess that's a fair compromise."

"You bet your ass it is," she grinned, taking a sucker from the candy jar on the counter and unwrapping it, "Anyway, shouldn't you get going?" She added around the candy.

"Heh...yeah, probably." She made a show of getting up, taking her plate to the sink and grabbing the stuff she needed to leave the apartment. Her kilt bag, hooked to her belt on her hip, her boots, and her jacket, tied around her waist for now, in case they ended up being in Snowdin, "I'll see ya," she called as she made her way out the door.

* * *

 The walk to the nearest part of the river was as short as always.

It seemed that the riverperson had been waiting for her arrival, as they gestured to their boat, "Good morning. I understand you wish to speak with me?" They were sitting on one of the benches, hand covered by their sleeve as they propped their chin up on it.

It was a little strange, them not speaking in a sing-song tone, but their voice managed to be melodic, regardless, "Heh. Yeah, I guess I do," she ran a hand through her blue hair.

"I suspected as much," a brief pause, "Why don't you sit down? We can speak to one another on the water."

She hesitated, before stepping into the boat, and sitting down on the opposite bench. She stayed silent, waiting for the other to get out into the main current of water, or to speak first.

They were moving for several minutes, before River spoke, "I don't suppose you wished to bring up the topic of our conversation?" The boat seemed to be steering itself away from the main channel, into an offshoot that seemed to lead to a different area from where she'd been before.

Andra gave the other a small grin, "Well...I guess...you know how I'm not all human, right?"

A small nod, "Yes, of course. You are a mage, correct? I find it fascinating that mages have not been bred out of existence in the absence of monsters, on the surface."

Another nod in response, "Heh...yeah, I guess it is pretty interesting, from a genetic standpoint," she leaned on her lap, looking down for a moment, "I was um...wondering...if you'd be able to help me out? With my magic, and understanding the effects that moving from a mostly non-magical society to this one..."

A slight head tilt underneath their darkened hood, "I suppose I am in a unique position to provide assistance. But before we continue...might I inquire as to where you learned that I might help you?"

The mage shifted a little where she sat, not enough to make the boat sway noticeably, but enough to tell she was uncomfortable answering, "I ah...I'm not entirely sure how to explain that,"  _help me out here, G...._

**_...I have some suspicion that xe might remember more then xe lets on. But I cannot be certain, and considering you chose to do this, against my advice, I'm not entirely certain if I should help you._ **

_Don't be an Asster. They...er...xe? Is staring. I can't just sit here talking to myself until they...xe loses patience!_

A mental sigh,  _ **I suppose you have a point, though the likelihood of xir losing patience is slim. Patience is one of xir most prominent traits.**_

A slow blink, before she cleared her throat, adjusting her glasses and looking down, "Look...I know you enjoy riddles and being cryptic, but...I'm just gonna say this outright. I'm here in the Underground on purpose. I was led here by um...Dr. G. The previous royal scientist. He's the one who told me about you, though uh...he also...said that we should look for alternatives first. I understand you and he have a...history."

A melodic laugh echoed over the water, "That is...perhaps...one way of putting it. I do not understand why he insists on avoiding me. I thought I sensed a familiar presence about you, Andra. I wonder, has the man who speaks in hands offered you any more information on myself? Such as why I might know how to help?"

She shook her head, "Um...no," she replied, "Just that you had some medical knowledge, if only minor, and that you've been here a lot longer than other monsters."

The laugh split the air again, a little louder, "I see he truly didn't prepare you for this meeting," a pause, before River rolled back xir sleeves, revealing...human-like hands. Xe reached up, slowly pulling xir hood back, the shadows around them dissipating to show xir face. Xir features were largely androgynous, eyes slightly tilted, pupils slits, skin (where it was skin) as pale as could be expected living underground for thousands of years. Xir hair was dark, longer than Andra's, but still regularly trimmed, pulled back in a braid, a few loose strands hanging around xir face. The iris of the eyes took up nearly the entire visible portion of them, the colours swirling in pale, almost teal blue and a touch of green, like a pair of marbles. Along the backs of xir hands and arms, and up the sides and back of xir neck, were reptilian scales, climbing slightly past xir neck to the edges of xir face. 

Andra was startled enough on her own. What she wasn't prepared for was Gaster's surprise from within her mind.

_**Xe has begun exhibiting signs of xir monster half? That is...absolutely fascinating! You must ask when this happened.** _

She wanted to act pissy and tell him to ask himself, but she didn't want to be locked out of the conversation herself, "Ah...um...G wants to know when you changed?" Wait...monster half? Like how...mages were half monster? Was this going to happen to her‽

A dark cyan, scaled eyebrow rose, "So that is the question you lead with. Well, hello, old friend. It is pleasant to hear that you are finally paying attention to me, again."

The scientist seemed to let out a low, growl-like sound, feeling like he was going to answer, then simply saying nothing.

"I uh...think he's speechless. So...Riv...lemme...er...get this straight. You're...half human, half monster?"

An amused grin, showing off fangs that the blunette was seriously unsure whether to find attractive, or intimidating, "Yes. I am a mage, just like you. Though my magic differs, as does the type of monster, most likely. Most mages are not the same type as another, unless they share a monster parent, and even then, the monstrous features might present themselves in different ways, if they do at all. I assure you, I appeared quite human when I first found myself in the Underground. It took being largely isolated from humanity to begin showing my true self. In time, I may appear fully monstrous. It has been a...very long time, to get this far."

"So...there's not only soul changes, then?"

"Oh, that is the first step. I lived at the start of the segregation between humans and monsters, on the surface," xe paused, contemplating which details to share, "Upon being locked down here, it took a few centuries before the changes were entirely noticeable. Certainly, there were some small physical changes right away, but nothing a small illusion couldn't cover. Unfortunately, anything stronger than shadow is energy consuming, and tiresome. Most shapeshift between forms to cover that, but that ability seems to have been damaged when I was struck by the barrier," a brief pause, "I must say, I find it utterly fascinating that mages are still able to exist in so pure a form, after so long without monsters. Perhaps there are other monsters who escaped imprisonment, and remain in hiding? I do wonder. It would be lovely to read their accounts of the surface, if they exist to share them. Would one of your parents happen to be nonhuman? You do seem rather similar to one of the mages who sided with the human authorities in the war, but it has been a long time. I would assume the magic to be mostly bred out by now."

"I have literally never heard you talk this much," Andra replied, a little overwhelmed, "As for one of my parents being a monster? I have no clue. I'm pretty sure my mother is human. I seriously doubt there's a magical bone in her body, so...I dunno. I might have a monster dad, but as far as I've been told, my biological dad is a human in Arizona that she had sex with for like a month."

"Would you say that your mother is promiscuous, then?"

A small shrug, "Yeah, I guess," she replied.

"Then there might be a possibility that she had an affair with a monster hiding on the surface, which led to your birth?"

"This is making my head hurt."

A small, amused smile, "Apologies. Why don't we drop that topic for now, hm? What is the nature of the help that you wish me to provide? Simply healing support and advice, or is there more to it?"

"I was hoping you could work with G, Comic and Alphys to compile medical data on mages, so that anything that happens to me in this environment doesn't come as a shock."

Xe tilted xir head the other way, considering the request, "It might take some time to do such a thing, but I suppose I could be convinced to help, for a small fee."

The younger mage stared, " _What?_ But you don't even charge for your boat rides! What sort of fee could you want for this?"

"I wish to speak privately with Ga...hm. G, when next we meet."

She paused, "Huh. Well...I don't see a problem with that. I mean, he can use my body, no problem, so..." A small shrug,  _What d'you think?_

An exasperated sigh,  _ **You give me little choice.**_

"Looks like he agrees too."

River grinned, showing off xir intimidating fangs again. "Excellent. I shall look forward to it," xe pulled xir hood back up, shadows engulfing xir features once again, "Now, I believe the waters wish me to take you to Hotland, yes?"

She blinked purposefully, "Yeeeaaah. I'm...not gonna ask how you knew that."

"You have found yourself surrounded by magic, and yet you cannot accept such an explanation? Perhaps more studying on the subject would do you well." The boat changed course, back into the main channel, "Hmm-hm-hmm-hm-hmm-hm-hm-mmmm...." Xe seemed entirely distracted now.

And...Andra had quite a lot to think about.


	30. Kindness and Determination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had a request for more of the twins! But first, didn't Kathy have a job interview? Enjoy!

Kathy took the long way to Hotland when she realised that Riverperson would be too busy talking with Andra to take her. She was alright with it though. Yes, she really probably shouldn't have been out and about on her own, but people in the area knew her well enough, so long as more weirdos like the guy the night before didn't show up.

The walk went by pleasantly enough. She ran across a couple of small puzzles, solving them easily enough. When she arrived at the lab, an hour or so had passed.

She was just lifting her hand to knock, when the door opened, "Th-thanks for coming, K-Kathy," Alphys stepped back to make room for her in the doorway, "You're just in t-time."

The human straightened up a little, "Oh? Heh. I guess I'm glad I hurried," she smiled.

"Uncle Metta! Do it again!" Hiei's voice echoed from inside the lab.

"Now, darling, you know your mother doesn't want you climbing around the sensitive equipment."

"Pleeeaaaase?"

Alphys flinched, "Hiei! Your uncle Mettaton is gonna be busy in a second. Leave him alone, and go eat your lunch," it was interesting hearing her stutter disappear whilst dealing with the child.

"Oh! Is the new human finally here?"

"C-come in, Kathy," she gestured inside.

The brunette walked inside, her attention immediately caught by a robot balanced on one wheel, with two rather flexible arms.

Before she could speak, the robot had rolled up to her, its screen flashing in alternating patterns, that probably meant something to Alphys, "Darling! You must be Katherine! It's delightful to meet you. You must be honoured to be considered for this position, dear! Of course you are!" The voice was vaguely masculine, if only barely, one hand resting on the small of her back as...he...guided her into an adjacent room.

"Um...n-nice to meet you?"

"It must be. I envy you the opportunity, darling," he replied, gesturing to chair for her to sit, "Please, give me a moment, while I make myself presentable for our interview, dear. The camera and makeup crews should be along shortly to take care of you."

Kathy paled, "W-wait, what? Cameras? No one said anything about cameras!"

An electric laugh pulsed from the robot, "Of course not, darling. Consider this a part of your interview. If you wish to be my assistant, you must be adaptable to many situations. Surprise cameras are quite common! The crew should also bring along a small wardrobe for you to choose from. Please choose wisely. I have high expectations." He left the room.

The next couple of hours passed by in a blur, several monsters crowding through the room, giving her next to no choice in her appearance.

When Mettaton arrived back in the room, the crowd directly around her seemed to dissipate. Not that she realised it was him, at first. Not until he spoke, his heels clicking across the floor of the...spare room, turned studio?

"You look fabulous, darling. Almost as good as me," the robot looked her over without an ounce of subtlety, "My people did an excellent job of turning your style around."

"My style? What was wrong with my style?" She asked, frowning.

"Oh, don't frown my dear--you'll get wrinkles in your pretty skin. There was nothing wrong with it per se, but it was hardly anything for any assistant of mine to be seen in. And you do wish to dress for the job you want, do you not?"

The human shifted a little, looking down at the somewhat...questionable outfit. She wasn't really one to make commentary on monster fashion, but....

He took her silence as consent, placing a hand on her shoulder, and guiding her to a seat that...she was pretty sure hadn't been there before, "Excellent! We'll be filming in five, darling. Look alive for the camera!"

* * *

 

Serif reclined back in his chair, ignoring physics to allow it to stay in place, even though it should have fallen over. It had been an extremely slow day, between the two of them. Which job were they at again?

Neither needed to speak for the each to have a general idea what the other was thinking. One would think they'd be cracking bad jokes constantly, but...apart from strange situations, such as the arrival of their dad, there wasn't much necessity for it. More energy than either of them really had.

But...there was one thing that needed discussing.

"You seen the readings from last time Sugar loaded a save?"

"Nnh?"

The shorter twin covered his eyesockets with an arm, "The ones off of Alphys' cams...you know which ones."

"Oh. Nope." He glanced over, raising a brow bone.

"The readings weren't what we were expectin'. "

Oh. He was interested now, " _How_ not what we were expecting?"

He lifted his arm a little, "She didn't come up anything like a kindness soul in the readings. She came up like the kid."

Both brows shot up, "Eh? I...don't think I'm followin'."

"That look says otherwise. She reads like the kid--DT. How much clearer can I get?"

 "So, what's this mean? Is your girlfriend our potential geno?"

He flinched, "She'd never."

"She'd never as a _kindness_ soul."

Serif clenched his teeth, "Hnngh...yeah, yeah. Let's forget about it for a minute. I just figured I oughtta bring you up to speed on that." Hands shoved deep into the single pocket of his hoodie--Sugar had his jacket again--were clenched together, out of view.

"Somethin' else on your mind, bro?"

His teeth clicked, "Yeah. That weed. I don't like him hangin' around Papyrus. Wha'd'ya think he's plannin'?"

Comic narrowed his eyesockets, staring into open air for a moment as he thought about it, "Your guess is as good as mine. But I'm gonna have Undyne keep an eye on Paps when we can't, for good measure. I don't want 'em bein' alone together. And I don't like that Andra's been alone with him so much, either. I should see what she knows about him. Maybe we can figure out what the little shit is up to."

" **Or,** " the sudden voice was dripping with annoyance, "You can stop talking about people who are listening, and just ask." The flower popped out of the ground not too far away, roots and vines extending to bring him up to eye level with where they were sitting.

"You got some nerve, listenin' in on a private conversation, plant."

Flowey rolled his eyes, "No more than you two, talking about your brother as if he isn't fully capable of making his own decisions. Honestly, even **I** thought better of you than that. But hey, there goes your one redeeming quality. You **don't** respect him after all."

Serif's chair slammed back onto all four legs, and he was on his feet. Comic's eyes went dark.

"What the hell are you trynna get at? Of course we respect him!"

"Pffhahaahaha! If you respected him, then do you really think **I** could influence him? With no human souls to draw power from, and no power over the timeline? I'm trying to form a genuine friendship with him, and here you are, doubting not just  **my** sincerity, but Papyrus' judgement!" 

"Another word outta you, and you're dust, weed!"

"And how do you think your brother would react, knowing you killed his best friend? Hmm?" He grinned, "Don't be **idiots**. I know you're not **that** stupid. He's a lot stronger than you think. Definitely more worth my time than either of you."

"Then why are you here?" Comic asked with forced calm. His sockets were still dark.

The flower sighed, "Because, if I don't step in now, I'm not going to get many opportunities to see him, now am I? You wanted to know what I was planning, right?"

"You're just gonna tell us?"

"Yeah. Because I'm not planning anything. When Crazy and the human jumped down here, and I failed to kill them, all my plans went out the window. I'm on your side now... **argh,** that gave me the creeps just saying it...."

A look of careful disbelief, "And what was your plan before?"

A dark grin, "To turn Papyrus against you and watch him tear the Underground apart until I got bored with being his one and only friend, and challenged him," his face returned to normal, "But like I said, that plan can't happen. Not gonna try it without a way to reset. Even **I'm** not that bad."

"Soulless little shi--"

"Fine. But I see one corruptin' influence, and I'm makin' you into a side salad, plant." Comic replied.

Flowey giggled again, "Glad we understand one another, Smiley. See ya around, Trashbag." With that, he ducked back into the dirt.

* * *

 

The lights were damn near blinding, but Kathy had to admit, they certainly showed the robotic idol to his best advantage. He quite literally shone like a star.

The music played a catchy melody, and Mettaton flashed a winning smile at the camera, "Good afternoon, beauties and gentlebeauties. It's fabulous to be here today, with our special guest, Katherine Shizuko--"

"It's Kathy. Don't call me Katherine, unless you want me to call you dad."

"Oooh my, she can bite, can't she ladies and gentlemen? Honey, you can call me _whatever_ you'd like, but if you want this job, let's keep this family friendly, for now!" He shared a conspiratorial wink with the camera, "Now, Kathy here is the young human woman who has recently come down from above ground, and has been gaining popularity in the Western half of the Underground. She shares the company of a mage, and personally identifies under the trait of Kindness. Darling, what can you tell us about your impression of the Underground and her people so far?"

She blinked slowly, a crimson blush crossing her cheeks, though it might have been covered by the makeup which had been applied to her beforehand, "Ah...well, I...very much enjoy it, so far. Um..." She kept looking nervously between Mettaton and the camera, "Waterfall is really nice. And the people who live there are...really great. Um...I also really like Snowdin? The inn there is comfortable and cozy. And the residents are...very welcoming."

"Ah, yes, Snowdin--I hear you spent quite a sum of time there, before moving into your home in Waterfall. Care to share the reason?" He asked, heedless of her hopeless floundering.

"A-ah...that would be because, for a time, I was...rather comfortable there. L-like I said, the people there are very welcoming, and kind, and--"

"And there is no other...more specific reason, darling?" He coaxed, "My sources say you still visit frequently."

Kathy's eyes widened a little, "Wh--? Oh. _Oh._ That's what you're getting at."

"She get's it, ladies and gentlemen! A round of applause!" A brief pause for prerecorded applause, "So, care to tell us about the special skeleton?"

She stared, "What does this have to do with the job?"

"Kathy, darling, if you can't gossip about yourself, who _can_ you gossip about? Trust me, this is a necessary question."

She paused for a moment. Prerecorded murmuring played, and her expression almost looked annoyed. Almost. But her true nature won out in the end, "Well, which skeleton do you mean?" She asked after a few seconds of working on her composure.

An arched brow from the idol, "Is there something to tell us about more than one of them? Do share!"

"For starters...there's Serif. I..." She blushed, looking down and smiling, "I love him. Then there's Papyrus. And...I love him too. Like a friend, and a brother. He took care of me when I was sick, and he makes the best spaghetti in the Underground."

Mettaton flashed a smile, "Well, perhaps I'll just have to stop by for some, sometime soon." 

The rest of the interview went on as normal, a few oddly personal questions here and there, but, as promised, nothing that broke the family friendly demographic of the show. With the end, came an announcement to tune in next time for the results of the interview. This had apparently not been the only one, the robot having held several others throughout the course of the last month. In fact, this had been intended to be the announcement date, but Alphys had slipped in a request for her to get a last minute interview.

"Don't worry, you did beautifully, darling! Now don't forget to tune in to tomorrow's show for the results!"

"You...can't call me, or...tell me how I did, now?"

"Well, that wouldn't have any dramatic tension at all, now would it? Farewell for now, dear. I'll see you soon, for dinner, at least." He winked and blew her a kiss, as she was being escorted out of the room.


End file.
